On the Range

On The Range

You are an old cowboy now.
Your bronco riding and rodeo days are over. 
You now mostly drive a pick up truck or ATV instead of a riding a horse.
You drink you whiskey straight, and your cowboy style coffee black.
You don't smoke any more, but when you did you rolled your own cigarettes and lit them with wooden matches.
You got your tobacco from a white pouch with a yellow pull string that you kept in your shirt pocket.
You wear blue Levi's and a leather belt with a silver buckle, and white straw Stetson hat with
a woven white, black and turquoise hat band.
You wear cowboy boots with riding heels and a shirt with pearl snap buttons.
You keep a blue bandana in your rear pocket to wipe off sweat and act as a face mask in dust storms.
You have worn chaps, fixed a barbed wire fence, and know about droughts. blizzards and prairie fires.

You still ride a horse, can cut a calf out of a herd, and like your father before you own a Colt six shoot revolver and 
a 30-30 Winchester lever action rifle.

You have heard stories of massive Texas Longhorn cattle drives up the Texas-Montana trail in the 1800 hundreds,
and when you do, you wish you were born a hundred and fifty years earlier. 

Like you ancestors before you, you make your living raising cattle and enjoy watching the sun come up.
Long ago you learned to appreciate the blue sky and openness of the high plains with its
yellow prairie flowers, purple sage brush and tumble weeds.
You  have heard the howl of a prowling coyote, and the harsh caw of a magpie.
You have seen wild prong horned antelope, prairie dogs, cotton wood trees and,
beautiful night skies filled with a million stars.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2014

Poem

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A   Avatar
May 28, 2014 at 7:22 PM
Ralph, thank you for the comment on my comment...LINDA
Mehta Avatar
May 28, 2014 at 5:38 AM
Interesting and creative. Congrats on your poem being featured this week,
Bruzzichesi Avatar
May 28, 2014 at 1:41 PM
Thanks, Ralph
A   Avatar
May 22, 2014 at 9:45 PM
RALPH, Congratulations, I hope you enjoy your win and placement.... Stop by my latest blog, "The Glass SLipper" if you'd like. Take Care, and enjoy a smile or two. XOX~ LINDA
Bruzzichesi Avatar
May 28, 2014 at 1:40 PM
Thank you.
A  Avatar
May 16, 2014 at 4:44 PM
Ralph, Stopping by with a nice, sweet Welcome to Poetry Soup. I will get much delight, in reading and in time become familiar with your verse. As for now, I will greet you with the same smile, others passed, when I first join the soup 4 years ago. I wish you the best when it comes to your compositions. I hope you get to meet all the nice poets around here. Starting with me. SKAT :-) Please drop a hello and tell me a little about yourself if you wish. I would like to be your newest poetry soup "FRIEND" Hugs* SKAT
Bruzzichesi Avatar
May 16, 2014 at 6:14 PM
Thanks for the welcome. Ralph
Gibson Avatar
May 16, 2014 at 4:33 PM
Welcome to Poetry Soup, Ralph. Hope you find much support here as you get acquainted. Comment on others poetry and they will return the favor. Best wishes.
Bruzzichesi Avatar
May 16, 2014 at 6:14 PM
Thanks for the welcome. Ralph
Andresen Avatar
May 16, 2014 at 8:48 AM
- Warm welcome to PoetrySoup, Ralph :) - I choose your first very well written poem - Nice to meet you :) - Hope you will be satisfied with our "soup family" - we are many .. but has plenty of room for you too- PoetrySoup Rule1: Be kind and keep PoetrySoup a haven. PoetrySoup is a drama free zone(Comment on the poetry of others and they will comment on yours.) Thank you posted your words and thoughts here, I want to come back to read more another day. - oxox // Anne-Lise :)
Bruzzichesi Avatar
May 16, 2014 at 6:15 PM
Thanks for the welcome. Ralph
Halliday Avatar
May 15, 2014 at 11:44 PM
Knew folks like that visiting my grandparents in Utah.
Bruzzichesi Avatar
May 16, 2014 at 6:17 PM
Thanks for the welcome. I was writing about and remembering my childhood days in eastern Colorado. Ralph
A   Avatar
May 15, 2014 at 10:48 PM
Ralph, the imagery is beautiful... from star to sky... , A nice warm WELCOME to poetry soup. I hope you enjoy the community, as I did when I first join, March 2010. You'll find many friendly poets, who are ready to support and give positive feedback. I want to be the first to invite you on over, to the contest page. I OFFER MY CONTEST, in hopes it inspires you to write another poem. I'm looking forward to following you and your poetry ha-ha a special pair:) here's the link to the contest page. http://www.poetrysoup.com/poetry_contests/ <---~Take Care!! From: your new poet friend @-> LINDA <-@
Bruzzichesi Avatar
May 15, 2014 at 11:38 PM
Thanks Linda. Its nice to be aboard. Ralph
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