Cowboy Poetry

Jimmy's Valentine Poem
by Hal Swift

Jimmy, a friend, of mine tells this story
of a poem that he once wrote.
It's for a girl he seen in a local parade,
ridin' the Kiwanis' float.

He says she looks like an angel come down
to bless ever'body on earth.
And he decides he'll tell 'er first hand,
just what her visit is worth.

He figures that writin' a Valentines poem
is maybe the best way to go.
So that's what he does, he takes pencil in hand,
and the words just literally flow.

"You are," he writes, "more beautiful than
a baby pig is to 'er mother.
Your face is sweeter than a fresh green onion,
when compared to any other.

"Your smile lights up the morning sky,
like a fire at brandin' time.
Your voice is softer than the belly of a calf,
whose parents have been judged prime.

"I gotta say, you're the purtiest gal
this cowpoke ever did see.
And, if you ever wanta go out on the town,
just put in a call to me."

Well, Jimmy, he sends his poem to the girl,
and waits by 'is phone for her call.
He just sets there, in front of 'er photo
that he's hung on the bunkhouse wall.

A week goes by, before the telephone rings,
but it's the beauty queen's mean ol' dad.
He says t'Jimmy, "Stay away from my daughter!
If ya don't I'm gonna hurt you bad!"

Well, Jimmy is no small amount dismayed,
by this unseen turn of events.
And it hurts 'im deep--so deep in fact,
he ain't wrote another poem since.

And I've heard tell, that this beauty queen
has taken a serious vow, boys.
That whatever happens the rest of 'er life,
she ain't never datin' no cowboys.

Courtesy of my friend, Hal Swift Nevada Poet

Ladies, watch out for cowboys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeiT-JrcFGk

Pale Horse, Pale Rider

My buddy, Dirty Al, is complaining about too many political postings. Due to ongoing statue of limitation restrictions, I can't tell more Dirty Al stories.

A family friend is a gifted writer and poet. He wrote this poem to commemorate the death of my brother-in-law.


Behold a Pale Horse
by Hal Swift

My buddy, Duane Laeger, just took off an' went
without even sayin' a word.
It just isn't like him to mount up an' ride.
You'd think that somebody'd have heard.

Then all of a sudden I hear a wild shout.
I look all around for the source.
An' here comes ol' Duane just a whoopin' it up,
and ridin' a borried pale horse.

It must've been borried because I've not seen
a horse like that here on this spread.
His mane flowed like honey, his tail did the same.
Ol' Duane had just give 'im his head.

Duane rides that there pony for straight where I stood.
He looks like a horse that I knew.
I hollars, "Hey Duane! Where'd you find that there stud?"
An' he says, "You don't, he finds you!"

That's when I knew where I'd once seen this horse.
Old Death had been ridin' him then.
An' that's when Duane hollered, "Be seein' ya, boy!'
And then he rides off on the wind.

I know that pale horse is out grazin' somewhere,
just waitin' for someone to bid.
Then he'll come an' get 'em, an' they'll ride away,
the same as ol' Duane and him did.

--0--

And I looked and behold a pale horse;
and his name that sat on him was death.
Revelation 6:8


You can learn more about the poet at

http://nphs.us/swift47.html

and

http://www.cowboypoetry.com/halswift.htm

Come to think of it, there are some potential blog posting involving Duane. Will check with my sister.

Cowboy Poet

New poem by Hal Swift, noted Cowboy poet and a close friend of my sister and late brother in law.

http://www.cowboypoetry.com/halswift.htm

Experience
by Hal Swift

Some time back, they's a sweet young thing,
with a look both wise an' bold,
sez, "You got the wrong idea 'bout age!
Yer experienced, you ain't old!"

I asked if she remembered Colonel Tim McCoy.
She sez, "Now none a yer tricks!"
I sez, I reckon you'd say the same thing
if I ask ya about Tom Mix.

Then I sez, Okay, take the Model A Ford.
Does 'rumble seat' make ya smile?
No, she sez, "But you'll tell me why,
if I jist wait around fer a while."

I sez, Do y'know what a bread line is?
She figgers it's to do with cattle.
She sez, "You'd know a lot more about that,
from alla yer time in the saddle."

Okay, I sez, Colonel Tim an' Tom Mix
was actors on the movie screen.
All of us boys tried to be like them,
the two finest cowpokes you've seen.

Two couples'd date in a Model A Ford,
an' the boy up front would drive it.
The other couple, back in the rumble seat,
could talk about love in private.

A bread line's where a lotta city folks went
to git a meal in the Great Depression.
They'd stand in line t'git some soup an' bread.
Cuz the "Great" was jist a expression.

A lotta these things folks my age has seen.
It's nothin' that we've been told.
To use yer words, we've 'Been there, done it.'
Experienced? Yeah, and we're old!