The Old Paddle Wheeler

Up and down "Old Man River" the Delta Queen
steamed to the noise of her paddle wheel
so surreal.
The year being eighteen sixty-four,
just a year before the great Civil
war became so real.

From Vicksburg to Memphis and up
the mighty "Miss" she steamed to the
Gateway to the West, where she docked
and restocked, turned around to descend
all the way back to New Orleans for a
day of rest.

She carried bales of cotton, wooden
kegs of sorghum molasses, squealing
pigs and a few passages too, who was
known to played a hand of Cutthroat
poker or two.

They caller her "The Delta Queen"
cause she was the mighty ruler of
that wide Mississippi river scene.

People from near and far stood
on the muddy shore, waved
and chanted,

"The Delta Queens a com’n, the Delta
Queens a com’n ‘round ‘de ben."
Then everyone would whoop and
holler and sing it again.

Life was slow and easy on
the Mississippi Delta Queen.
Until that bloody war put her
mighty paddles to shore.

But her Majesty the Queen,
will forever be remembered
throughout America's historic
river scene.

Jack R. Kays
Copyright…2004

This poem was inspired by a small model river boat constructed by
my good friend and Brother-in-Law; John Koch.

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The Old Paddle Wheeler

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