Category: Cowboy Poetry
Word Divisions
Old House on the Prairie
Crab Apple Love
Yippee Ai-Ku (2)
Holding Up the Line
GOOD ADVICE
GOOD ADVICE
Whenever anything got broke or lost
Kim’s mother would always say:
Don’t cry over anything that can’t cry over you
Which is a good thing to remember
when your life becomes a country song
and your dog, and your wife, and your truck are gone
Your dog will miss you right away
and cry with the coyotes all the night
your wife will miss you later – maybe
and cry for all the coulda’s that might
but you’re sadly mistaken
if you think that old C-10 Chevy
following the repo truck down the lane
is going to miss you half as much as you miss it
THE FARM, THE RANCH AND THE SWEEPING SCYTHE
THE FARM, THE RANCH
AND THE SWEEPING SCYTHE
Sunrise can be brilly bright
and all day long
everything out to get you
The horse can kick or fall
the bull has horns of steel
Every machine is grinding its teeth
in wait for a chance to bite
and every snowstorm
eager to find you
too far from the barn
and stiffen you like the manure-pile cat
The sunsets worth surviving for
ALL THEY SURVEY
ALL THEY SURVEY
My father
would stand for hours
just looking at his cows
Like God leaning
on a rail fence in heaven
pleased with his creation
MY UNCLE SHOT MY DOG
MY UNCLE SHOT MY DOG
My uncle shot my dog
My ever loving, ever loyal
saved me from the coyotes
went back to the ranch to
lead my parents to me
stuck in the mud – just
like in the movies –
Lassie dog
My uncle shot my dog
Maybe she had took to bitin’ people
if she did, I’m sure they had it coming
Maybe she’d got to eatin’ the chickens
if she did, she’d earned every one
Maybe she was old and sick and hurtin’
maybe she was better off dead
than alive
I don’t remember anyone saying that
but I doubt it would’ve helped
Not when it’s your best friend
and you’re five
My uncle shot my dog
My uncle shot my dog
and went to his grave
unforgiven
Maybe I can get it done
before I go to mine