The Charge of the Wilderness Brigade

By Andy Kerr

(with apologies to Rudyard Kipling)

    Half an acre, half an acre 
    Half an acre onward, 
    All around Oregon 
    Rode the six hundred. 
    "Forward the Wilderness Brigade! 
    Charge for the pens!" he said: 
    All around Oregon 
    Rode the six hundred.
    "Forward the Wilderness Brigade!" 
    A lot of people were dismayed. 
    The entire state would know 
    Atiyeh1 had blundered: 
    Theirs was to make reply, 
    Theirs was to reason why, 
    Theirs that Wilderness wouldn't die: 
    All around Oregon 
    Rode the six hundred.
    Timber beasts to the right of them, 
    Miners to the left of them 
    ORV'ers in front of them 
    Volleyed and thundered; 
    Stormed at with shot and shell 
    Boldly they rode and well, 
    Into the jaws of Death, 
    Into the mouth of Hell 
    Rode the six hundred.
    Flashed all their pencils bare, 
    Flashed as they turned in air, 
    Outwriting the gunners there, 
    Charging an army, while 
    All the state wondered.
    Plunged in the political smoke 
    Right through the line they broke; 
    Beast and Miner 
    Reeled from the pencil-stroke, 
    Battered, but victorious 
    Then they rode back with more 
    More than six hundred.
    Miners to the right of them, 
    Timber beasts to the left of them, 
    ORV'ers behind them 
    Volleyed and thundered; 
    Surviving shot and shell, 
    Future History will tell, 
    That they had fought so well. 
    Came through the jaws of Death 
    With Wilderness safe as hell. 
    Thousands more of them. 
    More than six hundred.
    When can their glory fade? 
    O the wild charge they made! 
    All the State wondered, 
    Honor the charge they made! 
    Honor the Wilderness Brigade, 
    Noble Six Hundred. 

1 Oregon Governor Victor Atiyeh (1979-1986)