Down La Salle's Mississippi* Poem by elysabeth faslund

My lord sovereign King Louis XIV, to
Whom I take pen in hand to
Announce the news,
We're here.

Now where it's hard to tell.
But insects are attacking daily
And your ship has gone to hell.

My genius French helmsman
Has informed me we are stuck.
We left our luck in Canada
With that rotten govenor.

I wish I were back at Versailles
Courting those fair belle femmes.
Instead, I'm stranded on a sandbar
Choking on swamp stagnant air.

Damned helmsman.
The lace on my cuffs has drooped.
Our snuff is full of gnats.
We've tried salvaging our sinking
Ship. But our food is gone.
We need the rats.

Ah yes, my dear king, we're floating
Down south
Out in this glorious spring weather.
Our driftwood has stayed together
Despite this rising river.
And it's raining. On me.


(Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle-(partial part of entire poem)/Grand prize, College Writers Award. Louisiana)