The Big Country

The vastness of the prairies Grassed and green As far as the eye can see Grace the lands Of the Big Country Ranches so large It takes days to ride Herds so colossal Ranchers pride Long horned steers Browned and white Like the buffalo An incredible sight The open range Inhabit with new Sheep farmers arrive Lambing Ewes With vast herds And flocks of sheep Big Countries land No longer deep The Homestead Act of 1862 Led to the need, to feed us humans too Ranchers diversified, and farmed as well As the Big Countries population began to swell The prairie lands as big as they are Could never sustain the bovine stars Organisation would eventually fold As grazing rights, the government sold No more roaming for these herded souls Fenced off ranches, the modern goal Barbed wire in 1874 Kept the herds, and they roamed no more You have to admire the land of the free Make that journey take a look and see Vast prairies for past ranchers be The Big Country