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Monday, April 30, 2012

town tramp

by horace p sternwall

illustrated by roy dismas and rhoda penmarq







there's one in every town
one that gets left behind
when the other girls head for broadway
or hollywood and vine

there's something about her
something not quite there
you think she'd be long gone
but she's still here



marked for trouble
from the day she was born
daughter of darkness
child of scorn

they whisper behind the curtains
snicker at the general store
you'd think she'd have had enough
but she comes back for more



len jones is a deacon in the church
bob jackson has a spotless reputation
but their eyeballs always follow her
when she walks past the trailways station



tommy wilson is the quarterback
on the undefeated high school team
but even on the night before the big game
she haunts his dreams



at night she goes out walking
with her handbag trailing low
she must be going somewhere
but where is there to go?



she wanders past the pool hall
saunters past the five and dime
she looks up at the moon and stars
but stops at the county line