Ode to John Gratton

Fuck you John Gratton,
You who they named their battery for-
Fuck you.

Fuck you John Gratton,
You who they named a $48,000 weapon site after
You who lost your life to Indians in 1854,
I hope that they destroyed you.

Fuck you John Gratton,
Second Lieutenant John Lawerence Gratton
who fought the Suoix of Nevada
I bet you called them savages didn't you?
And never stopped to think
that maybe they were the human ones.
Fuck you.

Fuck you John Gratton,
You who is honored by this lifeless mass of concrete,
you who they named it for in June a hundred years ago
I want to smash it all to rubble
and when I'm through;
I'll stand amongst the stones of ruin,
and drenched in sweat scream
FUCK YOU!

I'll scream it so you can hear me John Gratton
FUCK YOU!

And so your shame plagued descendants can
FUCK YOU!

But most of all- John Gratton-
You bastard Second Lieutenant- John Gratton-
I'll scream it so the Suoix of Nevada,
the people who shot you down on August 19, 1854,
the people who's land you raped,
who's lives you stole,
who's hearts you broke can hear me-

FUCK YOU JOHN GRATTON!