He's Just An Ol' Cowboy

He's just an ol' cowboy With a heart big as the whole out of doors. But time has exchanged His home on the range, For a garden and five acres to mow. He still rides the range, Each day at three, With John Wayne, Gabby or Tex, When he closes his eyes he's there by their side, Somewhere out in the west. He's there in spring At the rendezvous site, When the mountain men all converge, He'll share their whiskey, adventures and lies, Till they give into that wandering urge. He spent one winter In the mountains way high, His cabin the size of a den. He was cozy and warm, tucked safe from the storm, Until a commercial cut in. He was there when Jessie, Frank and the gang, Hit the bank in a small Kansas town, He ran for the sheriff Drew his six guns and waited, Expecting to mow them all down. On trails he did ride With Goodnight and Chisum, His job, To bring in the strays. Like a coyote he'd croon by the light of the moon To the cattle at the end of the day. He froze in Alaska as he panned for gold, Burned brown as the prairies he trod, Fell along side Jim Bowie At the Old Alamo, And is buried deep 'neath the Lone Star sod. He tried to avoid the Indian wars, But rode with Reno At the Little Big Horn, The chaos he saw made his skin crawl And wasn't ashamed as he knelt there and bawled. His days they were great, And granted still are, For he met a new friend today. He walked by a bookstore, saw Louie Lamour Now new adventures are coming his way. He sits in his chair with a confident air And turns on his TV at three. He rides with his friends Till the commercial cuts in Then he takes out Ol' Louie and reads. Cile Beer written l990