Hubert Wilson - Float of Fire

Still they talk of our Homecoming fraternity float,
Over 40 years ago in a small college remote.
Do not mean to gloat,
But it is still remembered as far away as Terra Haute!
Battle of the Alamo it was to promote.
Really not much of note.
Lighted firecrackers dropped down a cannon throat.
The bell in the tower to be rung by devote,
As a hidden devotee rang the bell in the cote.
All was fairlly rote,
Until too much liquid beverage caused the cannoneer to foolishly emote,
Dropping a lighted match on the paper float!
Then, quickly surrounded by a firey moat!
Uttering loud brief words I dare not quote!
Speeding out of the parade with this flaming wheeled boat!
Into a gas station he managed to improbably tote?
Fire extinguished and no serious injuries to denote.
Epsilon Theta became the Homecoming goat,
Until every newspaper and wire service their story extensivelly wrote!
Not a single prize vote,
But we made everyone's memory with an incendiary 'Remember the Alamo' quote!

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(After all, it was the '60's and their was a lot of smoke on and near college campuses. Remember the OTHER Alamo!)

Hubert Wilson

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/float-of-fire/