Cowboy Poet

Slim was pigeon-toed and bow-legged from allus bein' astraddle, Of his faithful hoss Old Dan and his well-worn creakin' saddle! He'd spent 30 years gazin' twixt Old Dan's ears ridin' the spread. Now both is retired and he took up writin' cowboy poetry instead! On the porch of the bunkhouse he propped his boots upon the railin', To muse upon many things he'd write about in this new unveilin'. He wrote about Cooky's chuck of the usual taters, bacon 'n' beans, And dressin' up Saturday nights to do-si-do with dance-hall queens! Brandin' time in the old corral and fixin' fences he put to verse. Ridin' herd on stormy nights when he thought it couldn't git any worse! He wrote about cattle drives and the hell cowboys raised in Abilene, Drinkin', fightin' and gamblin' 'til marshals drove them from the scene! He expressed his views on wimmen-folk and why he chose to stay free! He wrote of lakes, streams and valleys and distant mountains' majesty! Of how fellers lolled about the camp fire enjoyin' a terbaccy chaw, And how cowpoke Pete could fashion a roll-yer-own with his 3-fingered claw! He wrote that he warn't a pious man to be corralled by a congregation. He preferred to git his spiritual grub from the magnificence of God's Creation! Fer his final verse he wrote, "I reckon cowboyin' was allus in my genes. When I come to the end of the trail boys, jes' bury me in my jeans!" Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired (c) All Rights Reserved