A Christmas Carol Poem Analysis

PROLOGUE

I express appreciation to Charles Dickens for utilizing some of the prose from his novella, A Christmas Carol, written in 1843; and to William Shakespeare for quotes from his play, Julius Caesar, written over 400 years ago.

My story is similar to Dickens’ and profiles a rancher I knew in the Cheyenne River country east of Buffalo Gap. He was a cantankerous old cowboy who spent seven days a week in the saddle and only took a day off on rare occasions to come to town to do business with my dad at the bank and throw down a couple beers at Frenchie’s saloon.

Whether or not he ever suffered from delusions I don’t know, but he may have, because during his life he encountered everything else.

I The Buffalo Gap Prairie

“What the hell does that mean to you or me – just another day in the saddle?”
After a lifetime of living alongside the Cheyenne River where he was born, Ebenezer Sackett had become the dominant rancher in southwestern Dakota near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. His ranch extended across the prairie for miles, more distance than he could ride a horse in a day. He never employed hired hands – they cost too much and were a needless expense, nor was he friendly with neighboring ranchers who considered him ruthless. Most of them were already gone after he forced them into bankruptcy and took over their ranches with his underhanded ways. His only friend was his wife, Grace.
As he headed across a sandbar on the Cheyenne River, he thought about his son, Jeremy. It was a Christmas morning like this twenty years ago when they rode their horses across this same sandbar through the Cheyenne River. His son had complained when his dad made him saddle a horse and spend Christmas day

I’ll bet. Humbug!” “Well we are almost there. It is that large house at the end of the lane with the big front porch. Ebenezer, please show Jeremy and Annabelle some courtesy. It was wonderful of them to invite us to stay with them while you are laid-up.” “Laid-up? You call it that? A better description would be in the protective custody of his jailer wife because he is prone to fits of being crazy.” “That is absolutely not correct, and it is not fair to either you or me. You are undergoing treatment for delusions brought on by an injury with a knock to your head, and I am helping you recover. The only reason I am driving and you are not is because the freeway traffic down here in Colorado is a challenge for anyone. The doctors say you should avoid excess stress and take it easy – not overdue anything.” “Who the hell are doctors to tell me what to do – how to live?” “They are experts. Anyway, Ebenezer, they say you will gradually recover fully; so, now while we are here at their place relax, and enjoy our stay with our son and his family. You can be proud of your son. He is owner of a famous exotic animal ranch.” “Humbug! What in hell is exotic about another