11,168. HAVASU FALLS SETTEE

 HAVASU FALLS SETTEE

The first time they brought the Indians in

was in chains, kneeling to slobber on the

face of the King. Some Spanish-breed

hoodlum claiming his lineage came

from Pizarro. Maybe it was a dream,

and, in fact, maybe it was New York

City and I was holding Debbie Harry's

hand, but it was all too long ago and I'd

forgotten the actual presence. Chrissie

Hynde, behind the blind?

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And, the lead-in to all this being, the

guy from the government was reading

the decree, about 40 acres and a mule

for every last remaining fool. There

were a thousand takers at the door

already, and not a brain among them,

just shovels, wagons, guns, and mules.

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I couldn't figure that one either  -  they'd

apparently already gotten their head-start,

though not the one from 1964; that was

Lyndon Johnson and his scrap-metal heap

of ideas for helping out his poor. The

Head Start Program, called in lieu of

anything else, was born in the Pedernales

Mountains. Lone Star State, remonstrate.

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Please. Do. Now, when we have so little

left except lottos and death.