John Wesley Hardin, an infamous outlaw,
Most feared gunfighter of the old west.
Rumored to have killed nearly forty men,
A prolific gunslinger above the rest.
Pursued by three soldiers for a murder,
Hardin ambushed and killed all three.
Accomplished while just a teenager,
Which allowed him to remain free.
At 16, Hardin had many notches on his gun,
Killed a man threatening him in a card game.
Shot a circus man for an unknown reason,
An attempted robber died from his aim.
He killed an Indian, just for practice,
Never a hesitation or remorse.
A feared gunslinger he was,
A growing body count from deadly force.
So mean, he shot a man for snoring,
Killed two more over a card game.
At 21, killed a deputy in a shoot-out,
Dead or Alive bounty added to his fame.
While living in Abilene,
Juan Bideno killed his friend.
Circumstances were unclear,
But Hardin brought Juan's life to an end.
Captured by Texas Rangers on a train,
Spent nearly twenty years in the fed.
In El Paso, argued with a Peace Officer,
Who shot Hardin in the back of his head.
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| Writing Prompt |
write a four line, seven stanza poem about the old west. rhyming method: 1st stanza
2nd and 4th line must rhyme. 2nd stanza, 2nd and 4th line must rhyme, etc, |
Author Notes
Notches on a gun refer to the men killed by a gunslinger. This may be more legend than fact.
John Wesley Hardin was the son of a Methodist preacher. At age 11 he stabbed another boy. At 15, he killed a former slave. He shot a circus man and killed someone who tried to rob him. And he was just a troubled teen.
Hardin was an outlaw of grave proportions (pun intended).
Born: Bonham, TX 5/26/1853
Died: El Paso, TX 8/19/1895
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