Legend of Ichabod Crane at West Point

The Legend of Ichabod Crane at West Point

“Come my children, sit for a spell
While I tell you the travels of Jim Dorrell
Not an adventurer, nor brave is he,
Just a simple man, like you and me.

He’s been to many states in this land,
Exploring new sights, that’s his plan.
He’s been places most of us only read about,
He’ll see many more, I have no doubt.

He visited the West Point Academy,
There he saw ‘It’, under a tree.
Riding a dark horse, the ground shaking in dread,
But the most fearsome sight, was the lack of a head.

The horse snorted like a caged wild beast,
The rider flicked his whip with ease….”
Suddenly a voice in another room,
Interrupts this tale of gloom and doom.

“You’re lying through your teeth you old coot!”
“I am not! I’m telling the truth!
Just a story to entertain, nothing more,
I’ll not have them sit here, dazed and bored”

“Then why don’t you come out with it plain?
Tell of Sleepy Hollow and Ichabod Crane.”
“Sleepy Hollow? Yes I’ve been there of course….
Oh, it was there the headless man rode a horse!”

“Then stop your lying, you’ll make them confused,”
This caused him to pause, momentarily bemused.
“What do you mean, stop my lying?”
“Well, I don’t want them to leave here crying!”

“I’m just telling a story from long ago
Of a headless man and his pet black crow!”
“You imbecilic fool, there was no such bird,
Now come on old man, keep to the honest word”

“Wait a minute, of course there was a crow!
Now I know I’m not crazy, this much I know….”
“You know?  Have you ever read anything by Alcott?
Or Poe, Dahl, Plath, perhaps Belloc? ”

"Yes, I’ve heard of Edgar Allen Poe.
Oh, he’s the one who wrote about the crow!
Guess I’m older, my memory comes and goes
Or….. maybe I should realize that I’m an ordinary Joe.

Okay my dear, I’ll be quiet now.
(Don’t tell her, but I think she’s a cow)
What?  No my dear, I’d never call you that!
Wait for me there, I’ll join you, you old bat.

So there you have it, my fine little ones,
You know the whole story, so off you run.
Now just a minute, I’m not that old, nor daft!
But now that you mention it, I do feel a draft…."

Jim Dorrell
August 29, 2012