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The Battle of Fort Bragg (Free verse) by Dovina

I used to stand on grassy bluff of Fort Bragg’s ragged coast, observing the battlefield below— angry water versus steadfast land. Being young and full of motion, I sided with the sea. Attack was always quenched back then by strength of solid rock. Still I cheered the young and angry sea, and still it pounded. After many battles passed, some broken rocks, a lot of motion, I came again to grassy bluff, and looked from different view. Now memory moved, met solid desire, armies under different flags. Where before the rock was winning, the sea was breaking through. Gentle rolls still swelled in shallows near the shore, then toppled hard against the cliff. Resistance waned in longer view, Some rocks had slid away. Memory kept rolling in, breaking stone, dissolving need, taking it off in painful bits to spread beneath the sea.

ecargo 6-Apr-06/8:46 AM
I think she means Fort Bragg in Mendocino, CA, so I don't think so. I could be wrong though.

FWIW, you (well, the Hessian troops under British command) burned my hometown to the ground in 1779, leaving only a handful of buildings standing (all royalist sympathizers). There's a cannon ball still embedded in a rock down the street from me (little known local secret). After landing on our beach, the Redcoats marched through town and inland, burning everything in their path. The British general, Tryon, according to local legend, watched my town burn from a rocking chair placed on the East Rocks bluffs. Always loved that story. Funny how we still have a Fort Tryon across the state line in New York--you'd think we would have renamed it. Another local legend claims (with decent substantiation) that the song, Yankee Doodle ("stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni"), was prompted by the ragtag uniforms of a regiment from my hometown.

LOL--there's an aside for you! You got me going--I find local history fascinating. :)




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