Scalawulf

by Joseph R. Stromberg with apologies to Beowulf

What! Barnes Governor Loud weeping, hair out pulled, Script followed, which Journal and Constitution Him bade. Former fumbling foundling Overthrew Bubbas To glee howls of scribblers, Flag riddle unlocked. Stealthy, stalking sty ward Committee and folkmoot Made bleat for shame. Waxed under Buckhead ‘Til that him all folk round-sitting Flag win yielded. That was good Scalawag

Once in yore days, Zell the Miller, fame-keen, Win and wisdom bootless sought Feelings fathomed, mind’s mood up wound, Soul-depths ransacked, word-saw wielded, Inroads made

Oft skalks skulking Those grimful ghosts, Bubbas highten, Kenned not their loaf-wards, Spurned their betters, Back answered, threw up earth wall, Stood Miller thwart over: blades wide sprang, Left him long in idle wheel-spin

That was years ago, Then Barnes Governor came to law’s hall, Hated banner down to haul, Law-crafty man, long a wheeler, – liberal elder was – Capital end ran, Followers together timbered, sweet words spilling, High-minded word-flood opened, screws down tightened, Tree limbs from under Bubbas off sawed, Then fell on fiendish foes Barnes and all his witan In the great town too busy to hate

Lawmakers fell out, folkways and flag forsook

So strode Barnes to struggle’s outcome Builder of better burghers, new world warder So shall New South man good works in bring And show in all henceforthness, How state-ways break folkways

Joseph R. Stromberg is a frequent contribution to LewRockwell.com, a weekly columnist for Antiwar.com, and is the JoAnn B. Rothbard Historian in Residence at the Ludwig von Mises Institute.