Crackers

Frederick Remington, “A Bit of Cow Country” originally published in Harper’s

Someone on Twitter had heard people referred to as “crackers” and asked what a “cracker” was. As someone who can claim the name, I chimed in.

Landless, pre-air conditioning white settlers in Florida were called “crackers” by more affluent people. They could be cattle wranglers, timber harvesters, or other types of workers. Descendants of those folks sometimes call themselves “crackers” as a point of pride.

Later, I wrote this poem, which was originally published in B O D Y Literature.

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Cracker

As in born in Florida, left Florida, came home
and left again. Came home to die. As in here I’ll lie.

As in daddy’s name’s a mystery
and six long-lost siblings. As in kindlings

of desire for some of them. As in big mouth woman, Deep South woman
and four glorious months of spring. As in flowering.

Redbuds, orange blossoms, camellias and gardenias,
fetterbush, and kettles of azaleas. As in petals

smooth as baby-skin, and color and scent possess me. As in confess me.
As in vultures on…