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Ode to a Missouri Mule

by Fredrich Mohre

As a country boy, up in the hills,
Life was tough, not much for frills.
I remember it well, yes, even now,
When spring time came and it was time to plow.
Afore sun up came, I was out of bed,
And pull the harness down, in the shed.
Then to the barn, for that dreaded chore,
To battle that four legged man-of-war.

A Missouri mule named Jezebel,
A demonic fiend than was spawned in hell.
She was Lucifer’s daughter, to say the least.
(That’s a compliment for that retched beast.)
While I woke her up and got her fed,
She gave me a look that could spook the dead.
I knew right then there would be a fight,
Just to plow up Momma’s garden site.

So I hitched her up, set a goodly pace,
When her tail whips out, right across my face.
You gotta watch out, as a general rule,
When you’re at the south end of a north bound mule.
Made a sharp left turn, and sank that plow,
Wondering what that monster was up to now.
When she lifts her tail, with a bestial flair,
And the field’s consumed by exploding air.

With a stench of hell and fermented hay,
I knew I’d kill that mule today.
I swear I saw that jackass smile,
While I choked on those fumes, so vile.
So I turned my plow, got around the bend,
That’s when she started up again.
She let go a noxious blast,
Nearly thirty seconds, it seemed to last.
But you gotta be tough, as a general rule,
At the south end of a north bound mule.

Well, I had my fill of that horrid witch,
So I smacked her hard with a willow switch.
When I thought that took her down a peg,
She bit a chunk, clean outa my leg.
Spurtin’ blood, like a stupid fool.
At the south end of a northbound mule

It was living hell along that rout,
Trying to control that repugnant brute,
She would first give me a rearward glance,
Then a blast of old mule flatulence.
If I had an axe, I would have done her in.
I got stepped on, time and time again,
Got bit four times, left me bloody and hurt.
She even sprayed manure on my best plowing shirt.

It’s been fifty years, but I remember the fight,
With her wicked ways, and her nasty bite.
And I hope old Jezzy went to jackass hell
For what she dished out, she’ll do quite well.
As for me, I took a solemn vow,
That these hands would never again touch a plow.
So I joined the Army, but to my alarm,
I MET MORE JACKASSES THERE,
THAN DOWN ON THE FARM!!!

Yet plows and mules still give me the chills,
From that horrid event, up in them hills.
‘Cause ya gotta to be a masochist, and a gol-darn fool,
To get behind an old Missouri plowing mule




01/24/2002

Author's Note: This is partially a true tale..I have been at the southend of a north bound plowing animal..Fred

Posted on 04/06/2005
Copyright © 2026 Fredrich Mohre

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by Mary Ellen Smith on 04/10/05 at 12:59 AM

Laughing too much at this! This would be a great great country song!!!!

Posted by Maude Curtis on 02/23/09 at 12:32 PM

LOL, I laughed til I cried cause this reminds me of the mules we had on our Mo farm. Damn them animals are stubborn. They'd let you get within arms reach then kick and bray and be off runnin' again. My brother and I hated those mules with a passion. Good readin', Pooh

Posted by Maude Curtis on 08/10/09 at 08:16 PM

congrats on POD. I knew it was good and gave me a chuckle, but I'm prejudice.

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