Wilma submitted poems to Dry Crik Review on her typical scraps of paper most of which I published. One, however, I did not publish because I could not decipher one word in the poem from her handwriting. I scanned it to Betty Blanks, who has recently authored a book “Pick Up Your Pen And Write: The Life of Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel” http://wilmaelizabethmcdaniel.com, to help me out. The word was ‘ping’. Til now, this amusing poem has never seen the light of day.
FAKE FORTY-NINER
We knew Ardell
had been acting crazy
for weeks
he grew a beard
stalked around
muttering to himself
I gotta go now
to Jackass Hill
to Poker Flat
and Angels Camp
I gotta pan some gold
race me some frogs
kiss me some CanCan girls
I really gotta go
He drove away in his Pinto
with the ping
towards the motherlode
on Golden Chain Highway 49
We didn’t hear from him
until his bonanza petered out
he phoned collect
the Pinto gave up in Jamestown
drycrikjournal 
A pinto with a ping……..I doubt there ever was a pinto th
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What were you going to say…a Pinto without a ping…we had one with a ping.
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Thank you That one made me smile
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Good. I found Wilma’s poetry often worked on two levels, but almost always with a moral, an observation about human nature, more particularly the Dust Bowl Okies. This is one of her lighter ones.
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I enjoyed the McDaniel posts. Thank you.
In the 70s a friend and I were chasing the poet’s life as students at Stan State. We had an idea to find where McDaniel lived & visit her. We didn’t, but recognised her stuff as very worthy of publication.
Ardell is the perfect name. Thanks again for the posts.
Brian
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You’re welcome–and Wilma would have welcomed you.
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Wonderful story and poem. Brought back memories of my first car – a blue Pinto station wagon that got me through some miles.
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My first wife and I had one, but not for long.
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Thanks John,
She just says it doesn’t she – Pinto with a ping – Can hear it now.
Have my copies of Drycrik journal at the Austin house. Will dig through them when I gets cold enough to drive me down there again. Had two of Wilma’s books delivered there and look forward to immersion.
As for poetry engagement almost none of the Saskatchewan and Alberta events survived covid though I continue to put out a-neil-a-day (free verse that sometimes rhymes) and have done so for over five years. If you like you can go to NeilMeili.com and sign up – Lots of back material and here’s today’s offering…
A Neil A Day Free Verse for Monday, September 9, 2024
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Click Here to Listen to this Poemhttps://neilmeili.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f736f3bab7de95ba716730cd9&id=3938c0b6cf&e=62622b1d37
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I once fell off a 10-foot fence during a branding up at Redstone Park in the early 70s (my grandparents were the Loverins of Three Rivers).
I woke up in the back of a brown Pinto with a sore head.
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