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We all went down to Pueblo Park
to hear Don Johnson play;
He's durn sure the finest fiddler
that has wandered out this way!
But I 'spose you've heard Don fiddle;
if you haven't, well you should.
I name him best in the whole Southwest --
and that is mighty good!
Well,this old gent came ambling by,
said his name was L.B. Wray,
'llowed as how he's from Illinois,
and if he had a fiddle, he'd play.
"Well," said that Johnson feller,
"We'd sure like to hear you play!"
And he handed him his fiddle --
all tuned to a perfect "A".
Well, the old man took Don's fiddle
and adjusted all the strings;
He listened carefully and long
before he played a thing.
For it isn't just perfection
that you're listening to hear
It must fit the heart that's playing,
as well as please the ear.
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And when he'd tightened up the bow,
and rechecked all the strings,
He took that bow in his old right hand,
and he made that fiddle sing!
Oh, it wasn't to the quality
of Johnson's, understand,
But you had to make allowance
for the trembling of the hands,
And the years without a fiddle,
and the mind a-running back
Over waltzes, reels, and hoedowns
that he'd fiddled in the past.
And when he'd finished playing,
there was silence -- then applause,
But you couldn't help but notice
that little bit of pause;
Its the highest form of honor
that an audience imparts
Its a tribute to musicians --
for they know they've touched your hearts.
So I love this sad old picture
of the fiddler L.B. Wray
When he "tuned" that "borried" fiddle,
and he "reckoned" he would play.
Dee Strickland Johnson
© March, 1995
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About the poem and picture, Dee writes:
"The fiddler's name is L.B. Wray and the poem explains the title of
both the poem and the picture. Our friend Don Johnson (fiddler also
featured in the poem) told me the complete story when I presented
him a framed copy of the picture about twenty years after the fact.
That's when I wrote the poem."
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Dee "Buckshot Dot" Strickland Johnson |
 Dee
is a native Arizonan who grew up on the Navajo and Hualapai Indian
reservations, in Flagstaff and at Petrified Forest National
Monument. She and her husband John ("Ol Buck") had a ranch in the
Arkansas Ozarks in the 1970's and now make their home at Payson, AZ.
Writing, music, and art have been life long pastimes for Dee and her
love of western history is intertwined with all of these.
Dee has taught history,
drama, English and art at secondary level.
She is the author of "Arizona Herstory, Tales From Her
Storied Past", published and produced by Cowboy Miner
Productions. In addition she has two other books; and all three are
illustrated with her art. She has used the lyrics of poetic imagery
to relate the exciting, and often, little known accounts from
Arizona's past. She skillfully blends history and the beauty of
poetry to create a fascinating new look at Arizona's rich and
varied history. Her book was awarded the Will Rogers Medallion.
In recognition of her efforts on
behalf of Arizona, Dee was named an Arizona Culture Keeper
in 2004 by the Arizona Historical Foundation.
The image of Dee above is taken from the the cover
of her CD - "Buckaroo Bonanza".
For further
information, check out her website:
http://www.buckshotdot.com
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