Mission Romance Poem by bobby beddoe

Mission Romance

Roberto was tall, well built, Brown hair,
Not dubbed handsome, but judged debonair.
Which completed his attractiveness,
From working so hard from dawn to darkness.
His heart turned a somersault when first
He saw her, matter of fact, it almost burst!
Irma was two years younger at sixteen,
The prettiest Roberto had ever seen.
She had big Amber eyes in harmony
With her tawny-chestnut hair - thoroughly,
A full, young figure as if God had fun
Concentrating on His creation.
On a fresh mid-October afternoon,
As gusts whirled leaves of amber and maroon
Through the shifting breeze,
With its intension to please,
Roberto asks Irma, unvexed by doubt,
If she'd like a work-break and walk about.
'Let's go down to the river walk
Where it's nice and quiet and just talk,
We can leave our horses behind,
That is, if you don't mind.
I'll share my dream to preach the Golden Rule.'
'And I'll tell you my plan to teach school.'
'Sounds like fun, ' as he put out his hand.
Irma shook it, her heart pondering... 'Husband'
The still, sleepy, San Antonio River,
Was made white, under a full moon loiter.
Walking hand-in-hand until they came
To a cottonwood tree - with a nickname! (sic)
Irma leaned firm against its trunk,
Its branches reaching down with spunk,
As if trying to wrap themselves around her,
Breaking all commandments like a shyster!
The evening quietness was in concert
With a fluttering mocking bird's chirp,
Swooped low from the night sky - and then;
Warned them not to mess with her children!
'Whites came to the new world and to Texas
To find gold; instead, found wars and fracas.
The King of Spain wanted gold.
So in 1492, he sent Columbus and - behold!
Found Indians, who he didn't know was there.
This made the King quite sure it's where
A great place to send priests to teach God,
And save savage souls before entombed in sod.
And gave Spain, in the frontier land, a toehold
And dealing with its soldiers looking for gold.
Spanish rulers, though, just for the record,
Wanted to be sure their soldiers heard
That gold was top of their list - still
To build churches and pay natives to land-till.
The priests had to teach the Red men
How to make tools for farm and garden.
But, the soldiers wanted to try their luck;
Most got lost, or died when Indians struck.
As soldiers were killed off one-by-one,
Made it hard for the missions to carry-on.
But, the priest stayed on to make friends
With the Indians - That God sends.
Coronado, in 1641, searched for Cibola,
'Seven cities of gold' - for Spain's eureka!
Instead found a village made of mud and sticks,
That looked like, at sunrise/sunset, gold bricks!
The first missions built, East Texas can claim
Were to exalt God - least their aim.
'El Alamo',1744, is the shortened portion
Of ‘San Antonio de Valero Mission'.
And here is where I call home,
It's where I keep my hat and comb.
Spanish military troops said it was
Named in honor of Alamo de Parras,
Their hometown in Mexico.
When actually, the name, 'Alamo',
Is Spanish for 'cottonwood' tree;
And, most research historians agree'!
'Wow, Roberto, you really know missions
Especially Built for Native American Injuns.'
Suddenly the sky began clouding,
Then began, in earnest, hard drizzling,
Then took on a serious grayness,
Which Irma determined - meant business.
'I must go now and hurry to my Mission
Concepción de Acuña, I've no option.
That's where I live, and work each day, part-time,
Teaching the natives to read books and rhyme;
By the way, Tuesday, I'm teaching the ABC's
Can you come, or will you be too busy? '
'Actually, I already know my ABC's.'
'Oh, you're sooo funny.'
She said, haply.
'Anyway, most are not there to learn,
It's the free food that they yearn.'
'Irma, it's late, and besides, you'll get soaked,
Riding that far, without wrap and un-cloaked.
Mind staying with me tonight at the Alamo?
Because, now, without you, I'd be miserable.'
She asked, 'Alamo? Is that where you work? '
'There, and also do field-work.
Yeah, I took to hanging around doing small jobs
Like cleaning walls and floor with mop swabs
To make ready for a new priest
Or, that's what I heard at least.'
Holding hands, with force, true love had begun,
As they crossed the limestone bridge on the run,
Each jog was with lively springy steps,
All the way to the mission door steps.
Noticing, while it was rain-cool outside
That the mission was even colder inside.
The chapel floor had a clean shine,
And a fresh smell of fragrant turpentine.
'We'll have to sleep on this mat of straw,
Like an Indian and his squaw.'
'Funny again.'
She said, with a wide grin.
They dropped to their knees on that spot,
Needing sleep, no matter what.
Nominally, it would take months of seeing
Each other daily before such close sleeping.
Turning their backs on each other
They accidently touched each other
And both jerked away,
From then on, there was no way;
Neither could sleep, like old married people;
Though frugal their wish while under God's steeple.
At five o'clock, Roberto lit a torch,
Then walked to the bell-tower porch,
And reached for the bell-rope;
Bang-clang! Bang-clang! Playing like was the Pope.
She rose, 'Is that wedding bells I hear? '
'No, at least not yet, I fear.'
Then added, 'Hope you slept good last night.'
'Yeah, it beats my small stuffy room all right,
And sitting alone by the wood-firelight, '
Smiling at him like a beacon so bright.
He pulled her close, and kisser her
She kissed him back as she drew nearer.
Hungrily, their lips met, again and again,
Barring any semblance of restrain.
'Irma, Seems to me that you've succeeded
At becoming self-supported
Purely under your own power.
Guess that's the qualities of a happy teacher, '
Roberto said timidly, his eyes misting.
Irma hid her face in her hands, saying nothing,
'What I'm trying to say is, when you're ready,
Will there be room in your life for me?
Because, I would like to make your name
And my name the same.'
Tears began to glide down her cheeks,
As she tried to say the word he seeks;
But, to him, that long, quite minute
Seemed to last forever 'till she said it,
Laying her head on his shoulder, sensuously,
Irma said ever so seriously,
'Oh, Roberto, I love you so!
There's no way I could never say, 'No'.'
'Roberto, guess what! '
'What? '
'Last night I dreamed we got married.'
'You dreamed we got married? ' he echoed.
'Yeah, and you gave me a great big kiss, too.'
'Right. And I dreamed we had not one; but, two
'Kids - boy twins.'
That comment produced separate, happy grins.
Hastily, Robert said, 'I had a dream, also.'
'Really, Like so? ' she replied with gusto.
'I dreamed I bought you an engagement ring.'
'Did you really have that awesome dream? '
Roberto answered, 'Yeah, sure did,
Even had a pretty stone in it - red.'
'You're lying, ' she said smiling joyfully.
'Maybe.' He shrugged his shoulders, guiltily.
For a little while they enjoyed telling
each other their capricious dreaming.
Their mutual ecstacy sealed their love,
Established by God above.
Which produced sudden impulses to kiss.
Midst their Heavenly moment of bliss!
Now, true love was something they really felt,
Which made two hearts pleasantly melt.
'Hey, ' he said, 'we've got to leave this abode
And find work so we better hit the road! '
As the day disappeared into a cloud-swept night,
There was no moon; but, they caught sight
of an old dilapadated cabin.
They dismounted and decided to go in;
Because, by then the air smelled like rain
Desiding to go inside and and remain,
for the remainder of the day,
Or perhaps would be an okay place to stay.
Stepping upon the porch, Irma,
said, 'Bet this was owned by a ma and pa.'
Roberto turned the rusty knob hard,
The door swung open with a squeak - inward.
Obiviously, the cabin was a vacant place,
To them, was the next best thing to a palace:
An iron cooking stove was in one corner
Beside it a box for wood and lighter,
In another corner was a table and chair,
Rocking chair, and bunk bed pair,
A long shelf was above the table,
With a few pots and pans - useable.
'Irma, If you'll build us a good a flame,
In the morning I'll hunt for some game.'
'Okay, consider it done,
Just bring home the bacon.'
He woke up with the dawn,
With the idea of bagging a pig or fawn;
Grabed his 1819 Hall rifle for to tote;
But, brought back his morning kill - coyote.
And sat patiently until she awoke,
To show her what he smote.
It was six o'clock when he said,
'Hey, Miss Irma, wake up sleepy-head, '
She blinked sleeply, 'I'm awake, Roberto, '
Needing to earn themselves a peso,
After staying there over a week,
Then left, for jobs, to seek.
'So where are we going? Just asking.'
'Beats me, but we better start ambling.'
They rode all day and half the night,
by two, a relay station came into sight,
Both struggling to atay awake,
They reined in at the corral gate.
Neither could keep awake after that commute,
So they bedded down in the gated shute.
Irma pillowed her head on his forearm,
and he laid his head on his other arm.
They forgot about supper,
As their need for rest was much more greater.
The sun was less than an hour high;
But, staying there, they dare not defy.
So they rinsed off at the horse trough
Enough to get all the trail dust off.
Finally, leaving Behar County behind,
Heading north with the hill country in mind.
'Well, Irma, we've ridden pretty steady.
So let's stop here if you're ready, '
Masking her strained weariness,
She smilled, at the pause, for a recess.
The Texas Hill Country came calling,
One early December morning.
When they arrived in New Braunfels pueblo,
Roberto and Irma turned the page in toto,
To a new chapter making them 'As One',
When they became Mr. and Mrs. De Leon.
By the justice of the peace, in his retreat.
That part done, they walked across the street,
To the outpost store where he bought
with the gold pocket watch he brought,
That his father gave him at - life's ending,
A red ruby, gold, wedding band.
Which fit the right finger of her hand.
Mexican authorities
Granted sixty leagues of land in the 1790's
To the Hispanics, Lipan Indians,
And German extraction clans,
The land grant along the Guadalupe river.
Robert and Irma f iled for a sliver
And there they built their family home
Which prooved good cotton growing loam,
Soon a small settlement began to appear.
So they farmed there year, after year.
Soon a small settlement began to appear,
As the months and years flew by day-by-day.
One sunrise, typical day, mid-may,
Mom, dad, their six-year old twins, Juan and Jose,
Along with the early morning coolness,
When the kid's pet colts became restless,
Roberto glanced up from inside the corral;
Ordered his two sons, and his Irma gal,
To run to the house and lock the door.
And pray to Jesus for peace, our savior.
He choked of fear at the indigenous surprise
For fanned out on top of the nearest hill rise
Appeared a mounted war party - Comanche!
Leaning his rifle on a rail for them to see,
He walked up close, and raised his right hand.
The Chief slid off his horse and raised his hand.