Song of the Balcones

"Song of the Balcones" is a 750-line dramatic monolog depicting the fatal collision of three cultures in Central and South Texas. An epic ballad written to be read aloud with music, it is composed in 10-line stanzas of iambic pentameter, arrayed in five cantos. The work debuted on KUT-FM radio in 1988, read by the author with the backing of a jazz ensemble.

This poem depicts the bloody battles of a 19th Century war between Mexico's young government and Native American's of the Comanche, Waco, and Tawakoni tribes.

Born in Texas, Robert Bogan has spent most of his life in Austin, Texas. He taught foreign language (Latin, German, Greek, and English) for more than three decades. His published works include the Buck Duran Mysteries, two books of poetry (The Arsonist and Song of the Balconies) and two music/poetry CDs (Song of the Balconies and Rugged Trumpet). He likes to camp on Padre Island, hike the Piedra Lumbre, and climb San Miguel's cobbles.