King of Wounds - Sean Brendan-Brown

[mythomanic]

King of Wounds

He lived on our place
since before I was born -
more uncle than hired hand.
Pawnee, he changed his name
to King of Wounds after Korea
part joke, part serious

because he believed fighting
the Chinese had changed
his vision forever at Chosin:
the vision he had at fourteen
of an owl flying loop-the-loops
in a circle of red moon, talons
clutching a shrieking white
rabbit. His name then had been
Johnny No-Horses. He returned
from Korea with a box of medals
and as scarred as Frankenstein but enough
disability pension it didn't matter no
one was hiring Indians;
my father hired him.

King of Wounds. Odd even among
men reluctant to judge. He rode his
circuit of fence at night because that's
when cattle break out or men in.
He loved stars and meteor showers
and considered insomnia a blessing.
A beautiful woman once tried to lure
him to the city - she tried everything.
They had a good time and King of Wounds
wore the pearl button shirts she bought
but at last she went home alone.
When I asked him about it all he said was
      on those barren islands
      they die blamed and blaming.