Elton Runneberg

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0408dfc3.jpg"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="071a4f70.jpg" border=0 width="164" height="247" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0418dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#006600" FACE="Times New Roman" ><I><B>GENE O'QUINN'S RIVER BOTTOM POETRY</B></I></FONT><B>    </B><B>|</B><B>    </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" "><U><B>home</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Classic"><U>Classic</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="My Poetry"><U>My Poetry</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cowboy Faith Prayers"><U>Cowboy Faith & Prayers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Favorite Poetry"><U>Favorite Poetry</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Texas Cowboy Poet Index"><U>Texas Cowboy Poet Index</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Campfire Magic"><U>Campfire Magic</U></A>   |   <B>Elton Runneberg</B>   |   <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fiddles"><U>Fiddles</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>Links</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0418dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Elton Runneberg</I></div> <div> <I><B>THE GENTLE, THE BASE AND THE UNBEHOLDEN</B></I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >© 1973 </FONT><B>Elton C. Runneberg</B>, </div> <div> [Nov 1895 - Oct 1975] </div> <div> Published by Adelante Press, Houston, Texas </div> <div> Illustrated by J. Jaxson</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> <B>"</B><A HREF="#ballad_of_the_cattle_baron" TITLE="Elton Runneberg"><U><B>BALLAD OF THE CATTLE BARON</B></U></A><B>"</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"</B><A HREF="#drought_on_the_range" TITLE="Elton Runneberg"><U><B>DROUGHT ON THE RANGE</B></U></A><B>"</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>First Bard of Crosby</B> </div> <div> Elton C. Runneberg was the son of a Crosby, Texas farmer/rancher who migrated from Illinois to Texas in 1908. His grandfather was a Swedish immigrant who arrived in Illinois in the early 1870's and his parents established a farm west of Chicago. </div> <div> Elton was born in Elmhurst, graduated from a technical high school in Chicago and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1915. He majored in classical studies and agriculture and lettered in wrestling. Shortly after his arrival in Texas, World War I broke out and Elton journeyed to France with the US Army, where he received a commission to 2nd Lieutenant in the Field Artillery. He served with the American Expeditionary Forces and was discharged with the rank of 1st Lt. </div> <div> He returned to Crosby to work with his father; farming cotton, cattle ranching and dairying. He also was a rural mail route carrier for the US Postal Service in Crosby for forty years.</div> <div> In the 1920's he became accquainted with <B>John Peter Sjolander</B> of nearby Cedar Bayou [<I>Now part of Baytown</I>] Texas. Sjolander also a native of Sweden, was known as the Dean of Texas Poets and was instrumental in forming the <I>Poetry Society of Texas</I>. <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >[See the Handbook of Texas On-Line]</FONT> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/SS/fsj1.html</U></FONT> </div> <bR> <div> In his endeavor to fulfill his advocacy, Elton Runneberg chose to keep poetry alive for the common people, writing of the land and people in transition; a link between the past and the future. Mr. Runneberg could hardly be labeled a Cowboy Poet, his subjects spanned many aspects of life; the down and out, the migrant farm workers, Queen's coronations, his land, nature and war.</div> <div> However two of his poems that I have included on this page could easily be included in the Cowboy Poetry genre. Runneberg was a member of the Houston Chapter of the Poetry Society of Texas. </div> <div> Introducing his book, he wrote; </div> <div> <B>I tell my tales and my musings</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>In words both simple and plain</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>With metaphor, rhyme and iambic</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>Repeated again and again.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The characters haunting my meter</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>Are as one with the man in the street,</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>Like us all, have their high aspirations,</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>Like us all, have some clay in their feet.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="drought_on_the_range"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>DROUGHT ON THE RANGE</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Twice ninety days</B> <B>the torrid blaze</B> </div> <div> <B>Of the unclouded sun</B> </div> <div> <B>Has baked the land</B> <B>to desert sand</B> </div> <div> <B>And creeks have ceased to run.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The water holes</B> <B>are checkered bowls</B> </div> <div> <B>Of dessicated mud.</B> </div> <div> <B>And famished cows</B> <B>lack grass or browse;</B> </div> <div> <B>Too meager is their cud.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>While soaring high</B> <B>in cloudless sky</B> </div> <div> <B>Expectant buzzards wheel;</B> </div> <div> <B>For well they know</B> <B>that soon below</B> </div> <div> <B>Awaits another meal.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Day after day</B> <B>the ranchers pray</B> </div> <div> <B>For life sustaining rain,</B> </div> <div> <B>But are resigned</B> <B>to ever find</B> </div> <div> <B>Their pleas to be in vain.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>But years of rain</B> <B>will come again</B> </div> <div> <B>As weather cycles change</B> </div> <div> <B>And lay a sheen</B> <B>of living green</B> </div> <div> <B>Upon the gray and arrid range.</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="087563f0.gif" border=0 width="342" height="63" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B> </B><B> <A NAME="ballad_of_the_cattle_baron"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>BALLAD OF THE CATTLE BARON</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>  </I><I><B>Man may build his fort and castle</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>      meant a thousand years to stand;</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  Soon himself decays and crumbles</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>      under time's corrosive hand.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>By the river Pedernales</B></div> <div> <B>    Mid the mesquite-mantled hills</B></div> <div> <B>Dwelt a rancher with his riches</B></div> <div> <B>    Gained by sweat and shady skills.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Proud he was in his possessions</B></div> <div> <B>    For his cattle did abound</B></div> <div> <B>On well-watered verdant acres</B></div> <div> <B>    Which were his for leagues around.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>In his youth his wealth consisted</B></div> <div> <B>    Of a saddle gear and horse,</B></div> <div> <B>Running iron and </B><I><B>riata</B></I></div> <div> <B>    Plus ambition's driving force.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Then he rode a range unpeopled,</B></div> <div> <B>    Save for roaming cattlekind,</B></div> <div> <B>Searching brands which could be altered</B></div> <div> <B>    And the mavericks he could find.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>With a heated running iron</B></div> <div> <B>    In his deft and practiced hand</B></div> <div> <B>Took he title to these cattle</B></div> <div> <B>    With his deeply burned-in brand.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Thus his herd proliferated</B></div> <div> <B>    At a geometric rate</B></div> <div> <B>Till the proceeds of his plunder</B></div> <div> <B>    Grew into a huge estate.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>In his days of youthful vigor</B></div> <div> <B>    Gaining wealth and power and lands</B></div> <div> <B>Had he for his sole companions</B></div> <div> <B>    Only his rough hired hands.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Wrought he so with ruthless purpose</B></div> <div> <B>    Through his years of potent prime,</B></div> <div> <B>For pursuit of love and courtship</B></div> <div> <B>    He had neither thought nor time.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>All his love was pure ambition</B></div> <div> <B>    And his courtship was of power;</B></div> <div> <B>He was wedded to his riches</B></div> <div> <B>    And a bunkhouse was his bower.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>At the ranch's final roundup</B></div> <div> <B>    Hung his saddle in the shed,</B></div> <div> <B>While the hands performed the branding</B></div> <div> <B>    Their hard-bitten boss lay dead.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Lacking heirs, his estate dwindled,</B></div> <div> <B>    Victim of neglect and theft,</B></div> <div> <B>Legend of a cattle baron</B></div> <div> <B>    And his name is all that's left.</B></div> <div> <B>______________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>