Cowboys' Eyes
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Description:
Buffalo hunting in Utah for the Govenor's tag with my husband...I hurt my back to an extent that I could barely move without severe pain just days before but stubbornly refused to let him cancel the trip...he'd paid big money for the tag andwould not have gone without me...
Cowboys' Eyes
The Cowboys nodded their hats to me One of them offered me a shot of Yukon Jack "For 'Medicinal Purposes', Ma'am" And smiled when I took a big swig They cared for me as though I were a lover Looking back to see how I was doing Always asking, first, if I could handle the trot Before kicking their horses into speed Offering, always, the kind flask to keep me going Keeping their respectful distance Any time I'd lay upon a sandy stretch of mountainside To rest my spasming back for awhile With a surprisingly comfortable rock as a pillow I would sometimes doze off beneath the sunshine As they glassed the cliffs and valleys for buffalo He went off with two others in pursuit of a trail Leaving me behind to rest, knowing I was in pain We stayed upon the mountain-top Eating vienna sausages and peaches from flip-top cans Chasing them down with swigs of root-beer shnaaps and Canadian Club We could hear the gunshot from miles away Echoing and bouncing through the canyon And so we mounted our steeds Before the call even came on the radio There was a bull down And we should come to them Two hours' ride across rough terrain Would have been less than an hour for them For they would have galloped across the direct route Over steep ridges that only a cowboy would cross Istead of following the draws below for my benefit And only twice did I tell my mule That if he just got me safely down this slope That I would love him forever I would close my eyes and hang onto the saddle As he picked and slid his way down the shoal At the bottom I would lean forward to stretch my back And kiss his sweaty neck as I hugged him Promising him treats later on That night in camp One of the cowboys brought out a guitar And made up a song just for me We sat around the camp-fire And I popped Advils with sips of Southern Comfort Finally dulling the pain They called me "a real trooper" And made sure I was in all the pictures And not one of them laughed When I fed my mule from my plate And when we said our good-byes the next day I knew that the memory I'd treasure the most Was the respect in the Cowboys' eyes |
Submitted on 2004-05-21 12:01:43 Terms of Service / Copyright Rules
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I read this piece before I read the descriptiona and I got beautiful images of the old west in my head. I love the way that it seems to tell a story, without the common laws of poetry, and still it had the melody of a poem. Great write.| | Posted on 2004-05-26 00:00:00 | by pinurplepassion | [ Reply to This ] | I love Cowboys - this poem is a delight to me. I love quite a few parts in it... | "And only twice did I tell my mule That if he just got me safely down this slope That I would love him forever" "That night in camp One of the cowboys brought out a guitar And made up a song just for me" "They called me "a real trooper" And made sure I was in all the pictures And not one of them laughed When I fed my mule from my plate" All of these cement Cowboys in my mind. I'm so glad you have that memory. ~ Niphredil | Posted on 2004-05-24 00:00:00 | by Niphredil | [ Reply to This ] | lol I loved the end! It was sooo sweet, and it was actually nice and flowed like a poem, great job relating an experience, I could picture it so clearly! Yay I love your style. ~Corazzzzz | | Posted on 2004-05-21 00:00:00 | by Cora Windover | [ Reply to This ] | And only twice did I tell my mule | That if he just got me safely down this slope That I would love him forever Yes, my wife thinks she is in love with a jack ass too! ;-) I like this, more of a melodic narative. Sounds like real life experience, but I can't figure out what you went up there for with a hurt back! | Posted on 2004-05-21 00:00:00 | by Sandburg | [ Reply to This ] | |
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