"Arivaca Road Warrior" by Bob Atkinson

"Arivaca Road Warrior"

(c)2010 Bob Atkinson

An extra large pair of horns
shows you the way
to the town of Arivaca
letting imagination have its day

you circle the question mark

around the cow skull bar
past the sign that says 
"Arivaca, this way, it's not too far"

heading down into the past
on history to marvel

a mission of learning
new ground to cover

 not on a lark
just finding a reason

not to be in the dark
it's our exploring season

feeling right at home

as we passed those old bones
at Arivaca Highway's start
wake up and look smart

Twist and turn

fast and slow

roll up to

the Border Patrol

punch it hard away from there

through the hills 
up and down

Amado Ranch to the rear

covering old, old grounds

fun twisting turns 
fast, so fast we go

watch for cows upon the road
don't want to stub their toes

open range here abouts

they wander 'cross the asphalt

in search of greener grass
or a bull hunting a lass

feeling good, Hunny near

as your mind unloads
burdens of the city,

your frets and fears,
while buzzing down the road 

so fast he goes
the other way

a motorbike crotch rocket

tossing caution away 
while

carrying his life in his pocket

hunkered down and praying

not smart, but very brave

hundred at least on that beast

through turns marked twenty mph

years ago would have

also set the pace

now I do only thirty

old, but still not gray

there goes a silver

Austin Healy I believe

top down, flying through the town

Tam-O-shanter on his crown

really looking spiffy

while

covering hair, if any

he pushes to go faster

and relive his early days

when he was in this 30's

his eyes not so gray

Cerro Colorado

there on our right

home of a big old mine

the Sonora Company site

that town has since

burned to the ground

was once most active
brought fame and fortune to
the area and its inhabitants

nearly the first of its kind
a mining town of note
built when Apaches
took what they needed
then left you alone


 of silver it was proactive
paid for by eastern money
investors good
like Colt and Wrightson
and others when in the mood

made famous by
"the Father of Arizona"
who wrote stories of early life
left Indians head shaking
and his brother lost his life

Heintzelman came

in the winter of '58

they didn't tell him all
there were secrets of the mines
a sly man's protocol


had they done that
 he would have been irate
and taken to the board
his feelings of frustration

of Montana Peak's existence
he didn't know

they just ran circles

around what he thought was true

Poston told him stories

of how to Sonora he had to go

to get supplies and other things

for the mine to grow

but, Poston didn't go too far

beyond the next wild hill

to run the mine that he had bought

under the table his pockets to fill

silver from the mines

poured ore to San Francisco

through the deep water port

of Yuma on the river

it's so much easier now

to drive along the road

than be shaken in a wagon

as they were so long ago

you come upon

the Gadsden Coffee House

nutty brew tickles your nose

cinnamon rolls are superb

on them icing freshly rolled

up a little ways

in the building behind the sign

you give a nod to Mary

works in the old book barn

pink flowered trees
if you get there in May

she hangs out at the Library
that's where she gets her pay

stop and discuss the past

of it she is quite savy

studied the Crabb Massacre

and tales of her grandaddy

artists have their co-op

locals have their beer

in the courtyard of the tavern

where friends' voices are heard

then you shop for old antiques

newly arrived last year

and give Steve a nod

if glass whales you prefer

cottonwoods and large pools

of water are behind

adobe walls of buildings built

by miner's for their wives

so it is a place of history

where many things did happen

good and bad, and in between

like when John

was shot by bandits

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