We lost a good’un…

Rod McQuery. Met him many years ago at Elko and ran across him at different times afterwords. I had him and his lovely bride out to Devil’s tower on at least two occasions to recite poetry.

Buckaroo, Marine, all around nice guy and in my thinking a genius in the way he could write and remember and recite poetry.

He recited a poem he had written shortly before, at Elko on night and had one of his fellow poets rolling off the stage in gales of laughter. The Chicken Outfit. I learned it and recited it, but never as good as Rods did…tho’ he always told me to do it, saved him the bother. It would be interesting to know how many poems he had committed to memory.

Rod was married to a lovely lady named Sue Wallis, who their neighbors had the good foresight to elect as their state rep in Cheyenne.

This past summer and fall, Rod had some time to spend on the computer and if he saw I was on Facebook, a barrage of strange, exciting and memorable conversations were had. I would laugh until I hurt at some of his insights and observations!

Rod and Bill Jones put together a book of free verse poetry called Bloodtrail, about Vietnam and the war they were both involved in. Rod was very concerned about all of the Vet’s who were committing suicide, after they returned and it continued up to this time….he told me once that many vets told him that reading this book helped them more than anything else they had ever had access to.

Peace Rod. Hope you got a great one to ride on that side…and if you don’t, you’ll just make him into one….