The Friendly Cowboy
by Shelby - grade 6 student
Hot summer day when the sun didn't move,
No wind so the trees didn't sway.
As I walked along the old rotting fence,
Crisp sun burning as I was finding my way.
Soon discovered on the tip of a post,
An old dusty hat all warn and beat.
Below were a pair of large warn down boots,
At the corner where the two fences meet.
A scratchy feeling made me pull off this hat
A farm boy, a run away, a twelve year old.
"Jimmy".. a name was carved in the crease,
And this is the story my grandpa told...
Jimmy joined a group of cowboys,
Who soon scowled and sung,
“Go home son what we need is a man
Heck you are way to young."
But young Jimmy wasn't finished
Oh no he wasn’t through.
When the calf ran off into the bush.
Guess what Jimmy would do?
He quickly saddled his tired horse
Chased down the little cow,
" So what do you think of me," he yelled.
“Am I old enough now?”
Happily he joined the cowboys
They trailed from here to there.
Together finding lost cows and calves
Now they went everywhere.
But trouble started late one night
When a cow got away,
“It’s way too dark!" said the cowboys.
Who cares if one goes a stray."
Jimmy raced out into the dark
Ignoring all their scorns,
Seeing the calf he whipped out his rope
Getting him by the horns.
Soon the rope hooked under the cow
Sent Jim flying into the sky,
He lost his breath and bit his lip
Trying hard not to cry.
Stampeding hooves took Jimmy's short life
Now he roams the lonely hills
Roping chasing down young strays
Showing his tricks and his skills.
The men remembered a place
Where they first saw Jimmy’s skills
It was his favorite resting place
Just past the rolling hills.
They took his hat and boots
And folded his clothes real neat
They sat them on a post
Where the two fences meet. |
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Foothills Call Me Back
by Morris Erickson
Each time I ride away from the hills to start somewhere new
A feeling comes over me of what I must do.
Go back to the range land that I am so used to
Where I can roam with the wild, and the old cowboy crew.
As mountains call me to the ridge top to look into my past
When we rode the wild ones in times we hoped would last
With herds of cattle trailing to market through these rolling hills
To stockyards by the railways where stock cars were filled.
We would night herd by the Oldman River waiting for the morning light
then we would trail the herd to the yards before anyone was in sight.
But sometimes a critter would spook and be on the fight
A couple cowboys would rope the critter before he got out of sight.
At days end cowpoke's were put in livery barns for the night
And cowboys got together celebrating to near the morning light.
But when all the cattle had been loaded, it was time for us to go
Back to the rangeland that we had learned so well to know. |
