Toughest Cowboy

Toughest Cowboy
For Jared Green
　
Load me in some horses,
Make sure they’re good and rank.
I can twist the salty ones,
Rowels dancin’ shoulder to flank.

That thrashin’ gray stud
Ain’t got nothin’ on me,
It gets my blood to boilin’
‘Till the ride is all I see.

He’s goin’ over the chute
Tryin’ to prove he’s mean and tough
But I’m a ten times badder mother
And I love it when it’s rough.

In a screamin’ stompin’ whirlwind
I’m at the eye of the storm,
My nerves are all electrified
And my need is runnin’ warm.

Got my riggin’ suckered down tight,
My hat screwed on my head,
I’ll be puttin’ steel to hide
Until I’m broke or dead.

Climbin’ over the gate now
To take my seat upon the back
Of twelve hundred pounds of muscle
And a heart and soul turned black.

His widow maker days are through,
He’s met his equal now,
I’ll ride the hair off this cayuse
Until he’ll pull a plow.

Got my hand wedged in there,
Turn ‘em out boys, jerk the gate
‘Cause the world’s toughest cowboy
Is about to ride for eight.

My heels are set deep,
First jump now spur him raw,
Toes pointed, perfect form,
Best ride you ever saw.

Chin tucked down, knees workin’
Through nine kicks and one quick turn,
He’s tryin’ to touch his nose to tail
And my muscles are feelin’ the burn.

Adrenaline flowin’, crowd screamin’,
The whistle brings them to her feet,
The gray gives up the fight
And victory tastes so sweet.

I hear the pick-up man comin’ hard,
Ridin’ like hell to get alongside
My eight second business partner
And save me a little hide.

Let go and lean, slide off,
Both boots are on the dirt,
One more ride where I walk away
With a paycheck instead of hurt.

I spend a couple nights at home
Until I’m up again,
I pack my war bag and kiss my girl
And know leavin’ her’s a sin.

But she knows how to handle it
And she’s always waitin’ when I call
Because even the toughest cowboy
Needs a gentle place to fall.
　

Frosty Mountain

Frosty Mountain
For Sarah
　
Diamonds crashing under hoof
As I went out a-riding,
Sparkling gems of life and ice
And secrets left in hiding.
The stirrups and the cantle creaking
As up the ridge I onward go
Towards the heavens and the sky,
Not to hell below.
Sparkling pendants of radiant light
Hung from tree and rock and ledge,
Bits of glass and gem and star
Bringing memories up to dredge.
Thoughts of wonder in a young boy’s eyes,Foaling in the winter chill,
Cradling that colt’s head in your lap,
Holding on to the thrill.
Specks of stardust lodged on my coat,
Little rays of fire.
Of the snow and sparkle and shine
I know I’ll never tire.
Puffs of breath on bitter air,
White clouds of sweet ambition,
Loving the outdoors and the cold,
Not before a fire wishin’.
Up into the canyon
Past the trees of evergreen,
Focus on the still and beauty,
Not the problems in between.
The eagle circles wild and free
While my soul soars up as well,
Flying on skies of hope
And stories left to tell.
My gray gelding breaks a track,
Unwavering in his trust,
The colt I foaled so long ago
And love him I simply must.
Sweet solitude and sanctuary,
Released in nature my feelings,
No judgment or audience watching
While my soul continues healing.
Past the frozen falls I ride
And past the Indian sites.
Far past the small log cabin
And on into the night.
I pause beside a frozen stream
And break ice for the gray to drink.
I ponder my reflection in the cool
And sit back and begin to think.
How does man compare
To the sublime grandeur of nature?
How do we think we know it all
When really we’re ignorant creatures?
Back in the saddle and still I ride,
Double-cinched in front and back.
The mountains can be a treacherous place,
Even an entombing trap.
But me, I’d rather die here in the mountains
Than work at a desk for all my life.
I’d rather be killed breaking a horse
Than for twenty dollars stabbed with a knife.
What’s the point of livin’
In a sick existence for a man?
You can never dream too late
If you choose to take a stand.
The trees around me stand
And arch their backs to the wind.
Like a tree my dreams will stand
And like a mountain will not bend.
Now these diamonds crashing under hoof
And I am still a-riding
Up this frosty mountain,
No more secrets left in hiding.

The Saddle

The Saddle
　
The old swells are cracking a bit
And the cantle worn near clean through.
It’s a wonder it all holds together
After so long of doing what it was made to do.

It’s never been oiled up
To hang listlessly on a rack.
Every so often it gets dusted off
With the rest of the battle-worn tack.

The sixteen-inch cantle shows tree
Where the leather’s been worn down good.
This old saddle is still fighting to hang on
To its leather, rawhide and wood.

The basket-weave pattern
Once stamped with such care
Is now only a faint trail of memory
To those who know it was there.

The horn bears marks of the dally
And the fenders are scarred up well.
The chunk taken out of the skirt
Hints of a story to tell.

There’s a row of notches carved into the right swell,
No one really knows what they mean.
Everyone’s got their hopeful illusions
Of what the first rider had seen.

Many a calf has been slung across its seat
And a few kids have learned to ride.
It’s slick-seated and polished from wear
And it smells of horse sweat and hide.

Once someone added silver conchos
And the stirrups have both been replaced,
The saddle strings barely hold a bedroll
And the maker’s stamp has been erased.

Whether it’s a branding or a calving ride
Or raking down a salty horse
This old saddle has never once failed
To keep a man head-on with his course.

It’s a saddle made for riding
Or even living in if that’s your way,
The blood and sweat and tears ground in deep
For tomorrow and yesterday.

The hard but loving hands that cinched up
Are now old and brittle with age,
But the stories and the memories that old saddle holds
Just won’t fit on a page.

Cowgirl Teamwork

Cowgirl Teamwork
　
My best friend is a cowgirl,
All ranch born and bred
And there’s usually mischief a-brewin’
Under the hat on Lacy Jae’s head.

We were sittin’ around one Friday night
Not quite sure what to do
When Lacy perked up, said, “Let’s head out,
Shake our loops at a cowboy or two!”

Ain’t no use arguin’ with her
So I pull my boots on quick
And we light a shuck out to the pickup
And to the dance to have our pick.

We go struttin’ in like banty roosters,
Ready to shake tail feathers and crow,
We waited and team penned us some team ropers
As soon as the music got slow.

We shined their belt buckles all night,
Whirlin’ around the floor
Before we grabbed some country wine
And headed for the door.

They introduced us to their cow dogs
And we drove down an old dirt road
To let the tailgates down
And keep dancin’, close and slow.

We mighta let ‘em steal a kiss
After a sip of wine or two,
Maybe let them hold us a little too close
After we made ‘em spit out their chew.

Come sunrise me and mine headed for home
While Lacy laid in the spurs.
Now when I go out a need a new wingman
Because she up and married hers!

Blizzard

Blizzard
　
Buck was ridin’ the fence line
One December day.
It was snowin’ pretty heavy
But it had to be done anyway.

He was ridin’ old Red
And they were plodding through the snow
When it started getting worse
And the wind began to blow.

He thought he’d finish his shift
So he kept on ridin’ out
Into the bowels of the blizzard
And Red went on without a doubt.

When his skin started freezin’
He buttoned his sheepskin coat,
Tied a scarf around his ears
And covered up his throat.

He only had his fencin’ gloves
So he put his hands up in his sleeves,
Still grippin’ on the reins
And watchin’ his own breath freeze.

Red’s was getting icy too,
Formin’ a block about his nose.
The cowboy and his horse kept going on,
Now he couldn’t feel his toes.

He had no idea where he was
Or where he’d left the trail,
He was in a full-blown white out,
He couldn’t see from nose to tail.

By now he was so frozen
That his legs wouldn’t bend.
He couldn’t get out of the saddle
Even if he found shelter from the wind.

Old Red just kept on walkin’
And Buck just held on tight,
Tryin’ to hum a cowboy tune
And calm some of his fright.

They walked for what seemed like hours
And no one knows what happened from there
But when they found them, so near the barn,
It put up quite a scare.

Old Red had frozen still standing,
And Buck, they couldn’t tell.
The foreman eased up slow and steady,
Said, “They must have been through hell.”

Buck was frozen in the saddle,
His hands still on the reins.
He’d tipped his hat to the frigid winds,
Winter’s downright dangerous on the plains.

The boys held a cowboy service
For him and Red, one at a time.
They’ll always remember their ride together,
Just tryin’ to finish the line.

Exploring Eachother

Exploring Eachother

The sunset blazes across your face,
Stopping to dance with the sparkle in your eyes
Before slipping its head under the blanket of night
As we ride in from a day of exploring new meadows
And treelines, new life among the last stubborn
Remnants of winter in the Rockies
As the land wakes and warms itself,
Stretching and arching its back to a new season,
Our bodies tired, minds awakened,
Hearts full from the day's adventures,
Exploring not only the land, but each other,
Feeling out new territories and seeking new possibilities.
I swing down from my saddle,
My legs more accustomed to the leather
Than the fresh air they felt
When we shucked our jeans and boots
And shattered the glassy surface
Of the lazy current at the bend in the river,
Splashing and rolling like otter pups,
A thousand hands of icy water slapping us across the face,
Baptizing and scrubbing us clean of the sediment of winter,
Soothing the dull ache of old pain,
Carrying it downstream and away from my heart.
The breeze wrapped itself around my legs
Like an infant's hand to his father's finger
And sent my brown curls dancing across my face,
Hiding from you the girlish blush that painted my cheeks
Each time you looked at me the way a man looks at a woman.
I nuzzled my head into your chest like a foal to its mother's side
As the sun drank the last tiny diamonds from our skin.
I counted the colors of the wildflowers
Like I counted the colors in your eyes,
Stealing glances at your chiseled features
And strong form, royal and masculine
Atop your tall sorrel.
Your warm smile and easy laugh
Soothe me, opening my heart
To ponder taking a risk again,
The way a man might ponder whether the water
Is deep enough to leap from a cliff.
This is the way it's meant to be--
Two free spirits embracing each other
In reckless abandon…
My body sighs into yours each time
You take me in your strong arms,
Challenging me and tempering me, all at once.
My soul is suddenly aloft, soaring overhead,
Awaiting the inevitable power-dive into a headlong tumble.
I am headstrong and bold, but you make me shy and mild.
My skin screams for your touch,
Impatiently waiting until the next time
You reach for me.
My hair messied itself in your fingers
As I listened to the cadence of your heart
As we rested by the river and you gently kissed my forehead
Setting my own heart aflutter like a great flock
Of redwings taking flight.
I mourn that the day is over and soon I must
Face the awkward parting of ways
After our intimate touching of souls.
I can't help but wonder--
How long will we gently trod in each other's lives,
Dancing around the fire of exclusivity?
For now, exploring you is enough.