Love Poem: From a Trailer Park In Keokuk
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Written by: Doug Hilton

From a Trailer Park In Keokuk

she came from the town of keokuk
  for what she did, she charged a buck 
    or sometimes two;
everyone said she was an evil gal,
but she changed my luck,
  that evil gal from keokuk!

in the most painful, miserable year of my life:
  i saw her walking in the worst snow storm
    iowa ever seen;
i helped her up the icy-steep hill
  to her run-down trailer park;
after putting away her groceries scant
  we talked till it was dark.

swings left it does - fate;
swings right it does - fate;
  while fate and angels fight for space
    while dancing on the head of a pin;
but does it go straight - fate?
  can it?
    i think not!

by august i knew her well;
by january i proposed;
in june i married lisa
  she made a lovely bride;
    just after i come home from the war
      with a bayonett wound in my side.

then twenty years later a viper named fate 
  twisted and coiled and struck!
and she smiled at me before she died
  and held my hand so tight...

i remember that night thru our tears; 
  it was so dark and awful a place!
    the wound in my side throbbed again in great pain!
      and i knew the war was no worse than this.

she left little billy and me late that night
  i know for a far better place:
    it's not at all like a trailer park;
      and it's where angels WIN the dance with fate -
        and lovely souls like lisa can sing amazing grace!