Shadow and Light Poetry

Wagontire Oregon

Wagontire Oregon 1973, 2016

In 1973, I went on a road trip
With my Father.

We left Berkeley to go to Yakima
Where my father had a summer cabin,

He was a college professor
And had July and August off
And we spent our summers,

Every summer from 68 to 78
In that mountain cabin.

Our whole dysfunctional family
Our annual trip to hell and back
And we did not get along at all.

We decided to drive
through Eastern Oregon
Just my Father and me
Just for the hell of it
The rest of the family
was already there
.
My Father and I shared a travel lust
Loved to go to new places
One of the few things we shared.

This was one of our best trips
We actually got along
Which was unusual.

Normally our relationship
Was fraught with tension
As we were so different.

We left Klamath Falls
A real noting burg in those days
And headed east along Highway 395.

As we entered
the desert of eastern Oregon
We entered a different world
High mountain desert
Almost no one on the road.

Then we saw the sign
Wagontire Oregon.

100 miles ahead.
99 miles.
98 miles.

and every mile
had a Burma Shave ad,

“Don’t be a dope
And drive too fast
Or you might end up
A thing of the past
Burma-Shave.

If you love your wife
And want to keep her sweet
Don’t let her see
Your whiskery cheat.

Burma-Shave

A shave so smooth
You’ll hardly know it
It’s like a kiss
From a poet.

Burma-Shave

Don’t take a chance
With cheap imitation
There’s only one brand /
That’s worth your admiration

Burma-Shave

When you need a lift
And want to feel great
Just grab a tube
And don’t be late
Burma-Shave

We counted down the signs
Mile after mile
As we drove into
the gathering dusk.

We speculated that wagon tire
Must be a giant truck stop
An oasis in the desert
In the middle of nowhere

We pulled into town
Nothing but a gas station
Motel and cafe.

We decided to stop
Last gas for 100 miles
According to the highway sign.

In the morning
We chatted with the owner
He was the sheriff, fire chief
Owner of the motel gas station
The only business in town.

And the only place open
For one hundred miles.

I noticed a sign outside
Welcome to Wagontire, Oregon

Population

200000 sheep
10,000 deer
5,000 Elk
2000 bears
5000 pigs
10,000 chickens
4000 hawks
4000 coyotes
10 dogs
five cats
2 1/2 humans

I asked the sheriff

"Who is the half-human?

He said

"My idiot son."

And we left
200 miles
We finally left
Eastern Oregon

2016

In 2016,
My wife and I drove
through eastern Oregon
As part of our epic
cross-country trip.

31 states
100000 miles
in three months

On the way
from Medford, Oregon
to Yellowstone

We drove along Highway 395
40 years since
my trip with my father

The signs for
Wagontire were gone
As we drove through the town

The motel was abandoned
Nothing there at all
The motel was in ruins
Just another ghost town.

And that sign was gone too
Just a small sign saying
Wagontire, Oregon

We speculated about Wagontire
And all the other nothing burgs
We drove through that summer

Heart of Trump's
forgotten America
Fly over country.

On October 22, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the
Highway Beautification Act, which attempted to limit billboards
and other forms of outdoor advertising, as well as junkyards and
other unsightly roadside messes, along America’s interstate highways.

Bing AI Chat:
”
Don’t be a dope / And drive too fast / Or you might end up / A thing of the past / Burma-Shave
If you love your wife / And want to keep her sweet / Don’t let her see / Your whiskery cheat / Burma-Shave
A shave so smooth / You’ll hardly know it / It’s like a kiss / From a poet / Burma-Shave
Don’t take a chance / With cheap imitation / There’s only one brand / That’s worth your admiration / Burma-Shave
When you need a lift / And want to feel great / Just grab a tube / And don’t be late / Burma-Shave
I hope you enjoyed these samples. If you want to learn more about the history and culture of Burma-Shave highway signs, you can check out some of the web search results that I found for you12345. 😊
en.wikipedia.org2. burma-shave.org3. 5

Wagontire is a small and isolated community in Oregon, United States, that has a fascinating history and some mysteries. Here are some facts about Wagontire that you might find interesting:
• Wagontire was named after a wagon tire that was found in the desert, but no one knows how it got there. Some people think it came from a wagon train that was attacked by Indians, but there is no evidence for that1
• Wagontire has a private airport that is across the road from the gas station, cafe, motel, general store, and RV park. Planes flying into the airport have to taxi across the highway and fill up at the gas station2
• Wagontire was once home to just two people: William and Olgie Warner, who ran the gas station, cafe, motel, general store, and RV park. They sold the property in 1999 to Ellie Downing and her nephew Jerry Gray23
• Wagontire Mountain has springs that provide the only good water for miles around. This led to waterhole feuds, gun battles, and murder among the early settlers who fought for survival in the harsh land4
• Wagontire is also the name of a post office that was established in 1919. It was originally called Egli, after a German family who settled on a ranch near Wagontire Mountain. The family moved to Hollywood in the 1920s and became involved in the movie industry14
I hope you enjoyed learning about Wagontire, Oregon. If you want to know more, you can check out these links:
• Wagontire, Oregon - Wikipedia
• City of Wagontire Oregon