MORTON AND FLO
by Eric Ode
This is the story of Morton, the miner,
who worked in the hills with a pick and a spade.
And Flo was the mule of this old forty-niner
with hair that was dusty and shaggy and grayed.
Now one afternoon, with the gold they could carry,
that miner and mule made a journey to town.
But halfway from home, on some far-distant prairie,
the rain and the thunder began to come down.
The skies turned to black with the horrible weather.
The wind began howling and rushing about.
And Morton told Flo, Now lets stay closetogether.
Well head for the hills, and well wait this thingout.
So Morton, he turned toward the hills in the east,
but Flo tried to turn toward the hills in the west.
And Morton said, Flo, youre a stubborn old beast.
Just follow behind me. Its all for the best.
He pushed and he pulled her. He grunted and scowled,
while Flo pushed and pulled in the opposite way.
And still the wind scurried and hurried and howled
as clouds tumbled in with a stormy display.
Then, as the two shoved to the left and the right
and argued and fought over which way to go,
the wind swept the both of them clean out of sight
and ended our story of Morton and Flo.
Ive thought of those two and the wind and thunder.
Im sure youve heard stories much longer and finer.
But this little story has left me to wonder;
Who was more stubborn - the mule or the miner?
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