This weeks Cowboy Poetry

Wayne Coe

Forum Owner - Moderator
Story With a Moral
Waddie Mitchell
Now I know there's things worse that make cowpunchers curse,
And I reckon it's happened to us all.
Though it's years since, you bet, when I think of it yet,
It still makes my old innards crawl.

I was makin' a ride to bring in one hide
That hadn't showed up in the gather;
I was riding upstream, daydreamin' a dream,
When I caught there was somethin' the matter.

Near some quakin' asp trees, I had caught in the breeze
A stench that was raunchy and mean,
And I reckoned as how it might be the old cow,
So I rode to a bend in the stream.

Shore 'nuff that cow lied in the crick there and died;
Hard tellin' how long she'd been been there.
She was bloated and tight, twas a horrible sight—
She was oozin' and slippin' her hair.

Her eye sockets were alive with maggots that thrive
On dead flesh, putrid yellow and green,
And the hot sun burnin' down, turnin' pink things to brown,
Spewin' oily gunk in the stream.

Well, I spurred upwind fast to get away from the blast
Of the heavy stench the cow made;
And I felt bad seein's how I'd lost the old cow,
And I pulled up near a tree in the shade.

Then I got sick to the core, rememberin' just minutes before
I'd done something that made me feel worse;
Not thirty yards down I'd stepped off to the ground
And drank 'til my belly near burst.

For months after it, just the thought made me spit,
And I'd live it over like a bad dream.
And the moral, I think, is if you must take a drink,
Never, ever remount and ride upstream.

© Waddie Mitchell
 
The Fence that Me and Shorty Built - Red Steagall

[FONT=&quot]Probably 15 years ago I went to a large corporate meeting and one of the executives read the following Cowboy poem to use. I thought it was brilliant at the time and still do. I've re-read this poem a dozen or two times since then. It was written by Red Steagall back in 1993. You can find his website at: http://www.redsteagall.com/
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I emailed him and asked his permission to re-post this poem here. He said fine as long he was attributed.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]THE FENCE THAT ME AND SHORTY BUILT[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We'd picked up all the fencing tools[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And staples off the road.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]An extra roll of 'bob' wire[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Was the last thing left to load[/FONT][FONT=&quot].[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I drew a sleeve across my face[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]To wipe away the dirt.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The young man who was helping me[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Was tuckin' in his shirt.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I turned around to him and said,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"This fence is finally done,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]With five new strands of 'bob' wire[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Shinin' proudly in the sun.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The wire is runnin' straight and tight[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]With every post in line.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The kinda job you're proud of,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]One that stands the test of time."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The kid was not impressed at all,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He stared off into space.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Reminded me of years ago,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Another time and place[/FONT][FONT=&quot].[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I called myself a cowboy,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I was full of buck and bawl[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I didn't think my hands would fit[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Post augers and a maul.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]They sent me out with Shorty[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And the ranch fence building crew.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Well, I was quite insulted[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And before the day was through,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I let him know that I'm a cowboy,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This ain't what I do.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I ain't no dadgummed nester,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I hired out to buckaroo.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He said, "We'll talk about that son,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]When we get in tonight.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Right now you pick them augers up.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]It's either that or fight."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Boy, I was diggin' post holes[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Faster than a Georgia mole.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But if a rock got in my way[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I simply moved the hole.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]So when the cowboys set the posts,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The line went in and out.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Old Shorty's face got fiery red[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And I can hear him shout.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Nobody but a fool would build[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A fence that isn't straight.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I got no use for someone who ain't[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Pullin' his own weight."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I thought for sure he'd hit me[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Glad he didn't have a gun.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I looked around to find a[/FONT][FONT=&quot] place[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Where I could duck and run.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But Shorty walked up to me[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Just as calm as he could be.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Said, "Son, I need to talk to you,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Let's find ourselves a tree."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He rolled a Bull Durham cigarette[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]As we sat on the ground.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He took himself a puff or two[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Then slowly looked around.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Son, I ain't much on schoolin',[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Didn't get too far with that.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But there's alot of learnin'[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hidden underneath this hat.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I got it all the hard way,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Every bump and bruise and fall.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Now some of it was easy,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But then most weren't fun a'tall [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But one thing that I always got[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]From every job I've done,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Is do the best I can each[/FONT][FONT=&quot] day[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And try to make it fun.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I know that bustin' through them rocks[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ain't what you like to do.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]By gettin' mad you've made it tough[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On me and all the crew.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Now you hired on to cowboy[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And you think you've got the stuff.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]You told him you're a good hand[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And the boss has called your bluff.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]So how's that gonna make you look[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]When he comes ridin' through,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And he asks me who[/FONT][FONT=&quot] dug the holes[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And I say it was you.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Now we could let it go like this[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And take the easy route.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But doin' things the easy way[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ain't what it's all about.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The boss expects a job well done,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]From every man he's hired.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He'll let you slide by once or twice,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Then one day you'll get fired[/FONT][FONT=&quot].[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]If you're not proud of what you do,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]You won't amount to much.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]You'll bounce around from job to job[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Just slightly out of touch.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Come mornin' let's re-dig those holes[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And get that fence in line.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And you and I will save two[/FONT][FONT=&quot] jobs,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Those bein' yours and mine.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And someday you'll come ridin' through[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And look across this land,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And see a fence that's laid out straight[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And know you had a hand,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In something that's withstood the years.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Then proud and free from guilt,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]You'll smile and say, 'Boys that's the fence[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]That me and Shorty built.'"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] RED STEAGALL/1993[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
 
Red is one of my favorite singers and poets. I had not heard that one but it sure hits the spot. In earlier posts I had expressed the same consensus, just in other words. I'll put this one in my collection.

I have always liked Red's "The Day the Copenhagen Saved the Day".
 
Thanks for those, fellas. Boss, that "fence that me and Shorty built" should be taught in all of our schools as required reading.
 
Thanks for posting these guys.

The fence that me and shorty built, Really hit home with me. This is the first time I heard/read it.
The one thing my Father(RIP) ever worried about teaching me was to do a job and do the best I can at it. That way you save
yourself and/or others possible grief. I will carry his words with me forever.
My father was a cowboy, And I always wanted to be a cowboy. Still do to this day.

Thanks again for these and all the cowboy poems! Means a lot to me!
 
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