Rhymes of a Roughneck

by Pat O'Cotter

The Birth of the Land For a thousand years the Devil crouched
On the white hot flags of
For a thousand years the Devil cursed
The imps that had chained him well;
For a thousand years the Devil sulked
And planned with his hell-trained brain
Of the things he'd do, when his term was thru,
And freed from the blistering chain. He'd even the score with the men of earth,
And give them back pain for pain,
For all of the days he had felt the blaze
And the sear of the galling chain.
And it came to pass when his time was up
And hell's gates were opened wide
That all hell rang, and the clinkered imps sang
When the Devil passed Outside.

108 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book browsing an antique store. I believe I found a first edition published in the year of 1918. It intrigued me (not to mention the history a book this old has been through) so I purchased it. This book is filled with nothing but rhymes(poems) written about Alaska. The rhymes are unique, lovely, and a history of Alaska in their own way. Probably something only a rare few die hard book lovers would enjoy.

[Gary Allen · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's 1900 in Alaska again

This set of 18 rhyming poems, most in the alternating 4-beat and 3-beat lines mocked by Shakespeare as "fourteeners" and commonly called ballad meter, celebrate the rough life of the mythologized Alaskan frontierman. The substantial poems seem to be largely derived from Jack London and Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and lack the specificity of actual observation and experience. Go, Alaska!

[Scott Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this one on my Mother's book shelf. I was looking for poetry about human characteristics which I could share with my class to get them ready to write a paper. I did not end up using any of them, but I did read the book and enjoy it.