The Louisiana Duelling Box (poem) by Steve E Ralph on AuthorsDen

The Louisiana Duelling Box
by Steve E Ralph → (All Poetry by Steve E Ralph)
Friday, July 12, 2024 Rated "PG" by the Author.

Save

Follow Share on Facebook



The Louisiana duelling box, Holds three pistols, not two, The third is so the umpire, Can do what he may have to do, If a duellist shows dishonour, Or worse still, tries to run, That’s why the Louisiana duelling box, Contains an extra gun, And the barrel of the umpire’s gun, Is longer than the others, So a coward can not get away, However much ground he covers. Also in this duelling box, Are ninety unspent rounds, Because the duel is never over, Until one lies dead upon the ground, For in Louisiana duelling, Only one duellist can survive, Which is why, the box contains not flintlocks, But the new Colt 45s, Six shots for each contestant, To end the others life, And fifteen chances to reload, Should six shots not suffice. Though a reload is never called for, And six shots are seldom fired, But the rules dictate it can be done, If both duellists desire, For in Louisiana, A duel is to the death, And a wounded man is still a threat, Until he takes his final breath, Be it gentleman or ruffian, Teetotaller or Sot, All may stand with gun in hand, Before the Louisiana Duelling box, In defence of their own honour, Or to defend their family name, But the shooting must continue, Until only one remains, Or the duelling box is empty, And every round’s been shot, Only then is honour served, For the Louisiana Duelling box. by S.E.Ralph 12th July 2024

Reviewed by Kay P Devenish

Reviewed on July 16, 2024

I love it,as always it is awesome and oh my goodness you keep coming up with the best ideas. Your poems are amazing,you are not just a poet but a great story teller too,your imagination has no bounds.I envy your brain.I have to get my dictionary out now and look up "sot', I don't know what that is.The whole poem was very educational ,I am against guns but sometimes I think the old ways were best,Duelling solved a lot of wars in the old days not sure if it would do today.
Best wishes always to you Steve.
From your old Aussie friend,Kay🍀

Reviewed by Ronald Hull

Reviewed on July 14, 2024

Your poems are always so well-written and unique. I hadn't heard of this tradition in Louisiana before. Only that dueling was quite common in the Colonies.. Since the Colt revolver didn't come along until the 1860s, practice using this dueling box probably started as men returned from the war with their firearms in the Jim Crow South. The Colt revolver is usually associated with the old West rather than with southern states. Dueling may have been outlawed in many states by that time.

Shows the American fascination with the firearm, upholding honor and getting revenge on any insult. I don't think dueling happened very often because if it did, the head of household of one of the families would be shot dead. On the other hand, life was short in those days and men who dueled usually had very large families to carry on.

Ron