In a blue enameled pot,
In the darkness of the night
Over coals that glowed red hot.
We sat in dancing shadows
Swapping tales about the drive
That lay three days already--
Mem'ries fresh and so alive!
We laughed with Bob’s fine version,
How his loop snagged live sagebrush--
While the heifer lit for elsewhere
As he cleared the sticky stuff.
Mack poured some steaming coffee
To assuage Bob's empty cup;
"You can chide me all you want;
Boys, I’ve seen yore goofs close up!"
One by one we chafed our lots
As the pot got passed around--
And we spoke them clear and true
Understanding all around . . .
How Sassy pitched young Mack to flight
When he issued false command—
Airborne then, jeans sliding off,
Scanning, wary where she'd land.
"She's a good ol' mare," Mack tried,
“The fault’s all mine, you know;
I gotta guide her right, boys,
Or my shorts are next to go!"
“'Sides, Earl gets the nod tonight--
'Least 'til the next gaffes come--
'Pine Tree Gray' the tiny squir'l
Drops him like a stumblebum."
"Ahem, I say," Earl loudly cries,
"First pinecone lands, I get a lump--
How's I to know for blackened sky
Which way to run or jump?"
With three days sweat behind us,
Two more grueling days to go,
The gab fest winds to silence,
Now, the wind begins to blow.
I'd come to camp slow riding,
Mighty tired tonight, with eye
To get myself collected
For tomorrow's working cries.
The laughs about our trials
Lays the salve upon my needs;
I tuck in slow and nod right off
‘Neath stars by scented weeds.
Copyright 2007 Jim Ross
If you enjoyed this Cowboy Poem, the boys are also trailing herds in Off Day -- Ballad. I hope you enjoy it, too!
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Comments: 18
My pleasure, Larry.
Thank you for sharing this campfire company with us, you've done it again. A good one!
CoffeeLady
Or is it, yes sir reebob?
Thank you, CoffeeLady. I'm glad you liked the poem.
Well now, it don't rightly matter ez long ez yeh get a smile outer it. Thank you for the compliment, d m. :-)
Now you've put me on the spot. Five seconds before reading this I'dve been able to come up with something, but now you asked...
Anything credited to Banjo Paterson is good. For a more humorous take, you could read through some of the Leprechaunia posts by Magi (magi.gather.com) as he's used some excellent ones there.
I'll come back to you as soon as my brain gets out of vapor lock.
I'll flick you a Gathermail later with some terms that may be useful, and you can let me know if there's any term in particular that you need.
However you seem to have a pretty good grip on it already. "Blue" and "crook" are spot on, and crook can be an adjective as well as a noun.
If you're looking at something in a similar vein to this post, don't forget going bush or going walkabout, which are pretty much the same thing, getting the billy on, and tucking in to your tucker - or your kai, if you were on the other side of the ditch in Enzed. And no true blue bushman would drink coffee. It'd be tea, mate....
Thank you, M. N. I'm glad you enjoyed the poem.