Michael Malone - Weebly

had learned from listening to Beatrice Dingley.
Far from Dingley Falls, surrounded by dozens of
library books on American history, Richard Rage stared
at a scratched-out scribbled page. On it were written
the first lines of the long poem about Beanie's family
line, the poem with which he would hand their child an
inheritance:
Harried out of their land by Laud's command,
By gaudy strictures on the heart of faith;
Borne westward on a wave of protestations,
They set up their arks in a somber sea And started
to sell us America.
Sleepily, he kept looking at the words while he ate
his eraser. It was hard work being a poet with
traditions. Rich yawned, scratched his tawny gold
beard, and wriggled his toes against Big Mutt at the foot
of the bed. Then filled with thanksgiving, he hugged his
muse.
She had fallen asleep already and happily he joined