THE DUKE

"The Duke", as most of us remember him, was born, Marion Michael Morrison in Winterset, Iowa. Although most of us think of him as primarily a western movie great, John Wayne's career in the movies was most diversified. How could one ever forget "In Harm's Way", "The Quiet Man", "The Longest Day", "Hellfighters", "Hatari" and "Donovan's Reef"....just to mention a few of the many movies he made that were not westerns. Of course, we all have our favorites and the list of westerns and non-westerns is lengthy, starting in the 1920's and ending with his last great movie, "The Shootist" in 1979. John Wayne is to most of us not only a legend in the movies, but a great American Patriot.
The following poem was written some years ago by one of John Wayne's avid fans. My thanks to the author for permission to use her work.

THE DUKE AND THE TOM-BOY
BY CHEYANNE(1987)

THE BARBARA WALTERS SPECIAL
IS COMING ON TONIGHT
A FIFTIETH SPECIAL---SPECIAL
MUCH TO MY DELIGHT

I HOPE SHE SHOWS A CLIP
OF THE FAVORITE STARS OF MINE
THE ONES FROM THE GOOD OLD DAYS
WHO WE SEEM TO ENSHRINE

AAAAH YES, HERE IS BING CROSBY...
THE "CROONER" WAS HIS NAME
WHAT A VOICE GOD GAVE TO HIM
INSURING FORTUNE AND FAME

AND GRAND OLD KATHERINE HEPBURN
WHO LIKENED HERSELF TO A TREE
BARBARA ASKED "THAT" QUESTION ONCE
SHE PROVED IT, LET'S SET HER FREE

I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION
TO ASK OF PEOPLE YOU MEET
THEIR ANSWERS COULD BE INTERESTING
ME?.... I'D BE A MESQUITE!

THAT LITTLE TREE IS UGLY
AND THORNY AS CAN BE
BUT IT GROWS IN COWBOY COUNTRY
AND THAT MAKES IT SPECIAL TO ME

OH NO!!!....MY THROAT IS TIGHTENING
MY HEART CONSTRICTS IN PAIN
THE TEARS WELL UP, AS I OBSERVE
HER LAST INTERVIEW WITH JOHN WAYNE

HE WAS AND IS MY HERO
TO AMERICA AS A WHOLE
BEING JUST LIKE " THE DUKE"
WAS EVERY LITTLE BOY'S GOAL

AND ONE LITTLE GIRL DOWN IN TEXAS
A TOM-BOY, THE GROWNUPS SAID
SHE RODE A STICK HORSE, SHOT AT HER FRIENDS
AND MADE SURE THAT EACH ONE PLAYED DEAD

BANG! BANG! WENT HER LITTLE TOY GUNS
SHE WORE ONE ON EACH SIDE
SHE ALWAYS "PLAYED" JOHN WAYNE
SHE KNEW THAT HE NEVER DIED!

SHE FOUGHT THE BAD GUYS IN BLACK HATS
RUSTLING, SHE BROUGHT TO A HALT
SHE LENT A HAND TO THE UNDERDOG
AND WAS LOYAL TO A FAULT

ALL OF THESE THINGS SHE SAW IN "THE DUKE"
OR AT LEAST IN THE ROLES HE PORTRAYED
HE NEVER TRIED TO FOOL ANYONE
IT WAS "JOHN WAYNE" HE PLAYED

HE WAS ALWAYS THERE....EVER PRESENT
THE "CARETAKER" OF THE OLD WEST
BIGGER AND STRONGER THAN LIFE
IN TRUE GRIT, HE WAS THE BEST

HOLDING THE REINS BETWEEN HIS TEETH
HIS ONE EYE SHINING BRIGHT
SAYING "FILL YORE HANDS,
YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH"
AN INVITATION TO FIGHT

OR TELLING THE GIRL IN THE STORY
AS UP ON HIS HORSE HE DID CLIMB
"SISTER, YOU ARE A CAUTION,
COME SEE AN OLD FAT MAN SOMETIME"

I RESPECTED AND ADMIRED HIM
AND YES, I LOVED HIM TOO
ONE DAY IN LONDON, ENGLAND
THE NEWS CAME---OUT OF THE BLUE

AMERICA'S NATIONAL HERO IS GONE
THE GREAT JOHN WAYNE IS DEAD
I WAS STUNNED----I COULD NOT BELIEVE
WHAT THE NEWSPAPER HEADLINE SAID

STUCK IN ENGLAND TWO MORE WEEKS
NO GRIEVING WITH MY NATION
I DIDN'T SEE HIM BURIED
NOT EVEN THAT CONSOLATION

"HE" RODE OFF INTO THE SUNSET
MY STICK HORSE AND I BY HIS SIDE
MY LITTLE TOY GUNS WERE SILENT
MY YOUTH, LIKE THE DUKE, HAD DIED

THERE'S A BRAND NEW GENERATION
OUT THERE RAISING CAIN
THEY WOULD MAKE BETTER GROWN-UPS
IF THEY EMULATED JOHN WAYNE

BUT WAIT!!!!....ALONG CAME THE VCR
I CAN NOW SHOW HIS MOVIES AT HOME

AGAIN!!! IT'S THE DUKE AND THE TOM-BOY
RIDING OUT TOGETHER TO ROAM

SO BARBARA, I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR THE MEMORIES YOU BROUGHT TO LIGHT
I FEEL THAT I'VE BEEN IN THE ARMS
OF YESTERDAY..........TONIGHT!