April 9, 1954: Looking for Lloyd Gransinger
(Found poetry adapted from The Great Plains Diaries of Harriet E. Whitcher. See the original diary entry after the poem.)
Planes scouting low today
looking for Lloyd Gransinger
and brother Leon, stole two cars
Nebraska Patrolman Marvin Hansen
found them. Hansen shouted several times
for him to halt but no do.
Lloyd jumped from car, ran for brush
twenty-five minutes later Hansen
died on way to town, shot in stomach.
Help was right from everywhere.
Leon cuffed but Lloyd got away.
Search was on all night, no find.
At daylight several hundred men
everywhere looking
on foot, horseback, cars
that was the planes passing over today.
Lloyd found in brush and trees
along Niobrara River, no gun, no resistance.
It seems Welela Post Office
robbed last night, they had cash box
no doubt was them.
I was worried but news said
all was fixed and men in jail.
~ Lisa Rivero
Love this! Wow! I just think this really works with her style, her very visual and concrete recording. Thanks for sharing it!! Maybe you could do a whole book THIS way?
Jessica
Jessica, thank you! The format does seem to work well with her voice. I have a book proposal that I’ve been tinkering with, and I’m thinking of doing poetry as a way to share the entries interspersed with some non-fiction narrative. I’m starting to get excited. 🙂
Yes! And, more please 🙂
Your wish is my command, Christi! 😀
I love the idea of a book of poetry and creative nonfiction from Hattie’s wonderful diary entries! You certainly are creating some very good and intriguingly varied poems this month.
Thanks, Katie. This poetry project has been just what I needed (I’m even getting further on transcribing the diaries, one slow volume at a time!).