Cottonwoods & Barbed-Wire Fences

Summary

The web content is a personal narrative recounting a childhood memory of a family trip from Phoenix to Snowflake, Arizona, marked by a traumatic event involving the author's sister and a barbed-wire fence.

Abstract

The article titled "Cottonwoods & Barbed-Wire Fences: A Story From My Childhood" by Matt Ray is a reflective piece that narrates a poignant incident from the author's past. On a hot day, the author's family embarked on a journey to their grandmother's house in Snowflake from Phoenix. During a rest stop under a cottonwood tree, the children played near a barbed-wire fence, which led to the author's sister falling and getting impaled. The story captures the innocence of childhood adventures, the sudden turn of events leading to the injury, and the subsequent rush to get medical help, all while painting a vivid picture of the Arizona landscape.

Opinions

The author seems to hold a fond yet bittersweet memory of the incident, highlighting the carefree nature of childhood play against the backdrop of a harsh and potentially dangerous environment.
There is an underlying appreciation for the beauty and respite offered by the cottonwood tree, juxtaposed with its role in the incident.
The author conveys a sense of guilt or responsibility, as the children were left unsupervised, leading to the sister's accident.
The dramatic description of the sister's fall and the resulting imagery of her on the barbed-wire fence suggests a lasting impact of the event on the author.
The inclusion of a map and personal referral links to other works indicates the author's desire to engage the reader further and share more of their experiences and creative works.

Cottonwoods & Barbed-Wire Fences

A Story From My Childhood

We rode one day to Grandma’s house From Phoenix with our dad The station wagon, filled with kids To Snowflake we were bound

En route, my father had to stop Fatigue was setting in He’d been up late the night before His blood was running thin

Pulled over and parked under a tree A cottonwood with leaves of green Proceeded to lay his head to rest Us kids got out to play

Beside the road a barbed wire fence The cottonwood gave shade A respite from the AZ heat An adventure for the brave

So up they climbed, my siblings One 10, the other 12 Competing to get to the top Unaware which dangers, they did delve

Up they went, scrambling free A lizard appeared above The climb had now become a hunt Of reptile, their pursuit of

From trunk to branch and branch to leaf The hunt had lit a fire My sister, playing, with no fear Hung upside down, as on a wire

Unluckily, the branch was weak My sister fell from high Where was my brother, in all of this? On the lizard, he had kept his eye

She fell onto the barbed-wire fence Hanging in rings of pain Reminding me of Jesus on the cross The blood, her shirt, did stain

We pulled her down, she screamed aloud We transferred her to the back Of the station wagon, laid out flat Then on to Snowflake, fast

This memory etched upon my mind For many a day, and for some time That fateful day, with my sister splayed On a barbed wire fence, in the desert hills Of Arizona, traveling on Highway 87 Near a large and shady cottonwood tree

Map from Google Maps, the route from Phoenix to Snowflake, 174 miles.

Here are some of my other poems and stories.

Cottonwoods & Barbed-Wire Fences

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