Coffee Jaws

This piece of poetry is a tribute to my Dad, Merle Weber, who passed away when he was nearly 91 years old. He told us many amusing stories about the “old” days, and one of these stories was about Welly Fawcett, an old fellow who was nick-named “Coffee Jaws”. Many of the folk around Beaver Valley had similar nicknames, but this one seemed to stick with me. The particulars of Welly’s life were not really what I have portrayed in my poetry, but this is what the connotations of the name “coffee jaws” produced in my mind. Whenever I see a lone crow flying, I am reminded of my Dad and his friend Welly, and I pray they both have peace.

　

　

COFFEE JAWS

　

"I'll tell you about "Old Coffee Jaws",

Said the old man to his son.

"Them was the days when there were no laws

That's how the West was won!"

Well there was some laws and the sheriff tried,

But you know ya jest cain't tame

Them strappin' lads that came to drink

The brew that "Coffee Jaws" made!

"Old Coffee Jaws", well he swore a lot!

And his wife, well she cussed too!

No other folk did pay them mind,

Jest came to buy their brew.

Yep, "Coffee Jaws", he done distilled

One heck of a crop a’ beer.

The whole town could count on his supply

Heck, any time a’ year!

"Old Coffee Jaws" would sit and rock

In a chair worn mighty thin.

When locals came he'd wink one good eye,

And give his toothless grin.

He'd say, "Come here lad, let me look atcha!

Do ya think yer old enough?

To handle this brew that kicks like a mule,

Do ya think that yer that tough?"

　

Well, the young lads laughed and they joked a lot

And they'd leave with their bellies full.

They'd stagger into town to track the lassies down,

And they'd shoot a whole lot of bull.

"Old Coffee Jaws" would spit and wink

And he'd walk that extra mile,

To deliver a keg on one good leg,

Then he'd give his toothless smile.

With jest one leg and jest one eye,

You'll wonder why, "Coffee Jaws?"

But the old man once had lost enough

To make him think and pause.

There was a night when the moon was bright

When "Coffee Jaws" was young,

And he could see, had both good knees,

When his best friend done got hung.

He was hung for a crime that for a time,

They all believed he'd done,

But "Coffee Jaws" knew, it was jest the brew!

As for reason, there was none.

So "Coffee Jaws", he made a pact

With his dead friend gone to heaven,

That he'd drink no brew even though he grew

The best crop under heaven.

"Coffee Jaws" grew old drinkin' nothin' cold

No, jest his coffee cup

Graced his old hands for he had plans,

Of joining his pal yonder up.

So he rocked and he winked and he smiled and he thinked

As he drank that blasted stuff....

His choice that night and his coffee life

Had sure bin gol-darn rough.

In the end they amazed at the way he'd grazed

On only his coffee brew,

And alone at night they'd smell coffee light

As past the sky, …a lone crow flew.

cailin raine