Poem for Friday

[Jinglebob]

Wrote this ne a few years back when we had a rougher winter than this one, but thought it was about the right time of the year for it! Hope you all enjoy and have a good spring.

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I rode a young horse today
And he seems to be learnin' his trade
He got a lot of sweat on his hide
From all of the tracks that we made

Oh, he bugger'd and acted sort'a foolish
Just the way that a young horse can
Thats just kind'a the way it's supposed to be
Gettin' him better is the job of a man

And he's comin' on fine all right
Maybe better than some I've rode
But I should'a felt better about the day
Guess this ol' winter has been a heavy load

I'd rode him on back to the buildings
And was turnin' the horses all out
When I heard a noise that didn't quite fit
So I stopped and looked all about

Then I saw them wingin' across the sky
Their honks were what I had heard
The first geese of spring were headed north
And my winter time blues were cured

'Cuz now I know that spring is real close
Tho' the grass ain't quite green'd up yet
But if the geese are headed for summer ground
I know that it's a pretty safe bet

And in a short time I'll be ridin' thru' green
And the cattle will be sheddin hair
All of the neighbors will be brandin the calves
I'll get to rope and drag my share

And I'll be ridin' a fresh young horse
Who will wonder at every new, strange sight
And I'll ride him proud, doin' my share
And everything will be plumb all right

So I'm glad my day went so well today
My young colt handled and did real good
Tho' snow may still fall and blow yet
The geese whispered, "Everythings goin' as it should."

 

[sw]

Jb,
you beat me to it, I was just thinking this afternoon that it is spring time in Montana. The bluebirds are here, the robins, the blackbirds, the finches. Had a herd of elk out in the pasture with the cows all day picking the crested wheat that is about 2 inches tall. The geese are here and one minute it was snowing, the next minute clear. This is a poem in the making, better think about it for awhile and make sure it is right. Don't want to share low class meanderings with anyone. Speaking of that, I wonder if anyone of you remember Bob Ross, he wrote "Muddled Meanderings in an Outhouse" plus other poetry. His father homesteaded this place in the early 1900's, he and his brothers used to come out every summer and have a family reunion but they are all getting very old and they don't make it out like they used to. I am starting to think that there is something in the sodic water out here that makes people start talking in rhyme. Now my daughter is doing a 4-H Cowboy Poetry project, you will probably hear from her real soon as we had to get permission from Macon to be on here as she is 12. Good night

 

[Jinglebob]

I remember meeting Bob at Medora, years back at one of the first poetry gatherings. I was thinking about him a while back and wondering if he was still around. I enjoyed him and his muddled meanderings. Not many people know about them old two holers anymore. Far as I can see, indoor plumbing is about the only improvement in the last 1oo years!

 

[sw]

Jb,
I have not seen or heard from Bob in awhile, his older brother Jim brought a granddaughter out here last summer to see the place. Their father built a cabin out here when he homesteaded, about 12 x 12 in size, it can still be seen, maybe three logs high now. When he got the time and money, he built a house and brought the family out from Billings. Those guys told me that during the depression, they went to school in Billings and had paper routes and shined shoes for money. They sent every penny of the money to their dad to live on. Their dad raised horses and a few cows, times were tough, and I cannot imagine being out here with no wells for water. Jim told me that every Wednesday mom would do laundry, so the boys had to take the wagon to Cherry Springs, fill up barrels with water and take them back down to the house, about a mile, so she had water to wash clothes in. The well at the house would only supply enough water for drinking. I guess that is why a man invented the washing machine :!:

 

[ranchwife]

sw----i am looking at an old, worn edition of "muddled meanderings" on my bookshelf small world, huh?? :wink:

 

[Saddletramp]

Jinglebob, that was a great poem. I've been riding a three year old during calving and there,s nothing better than having one come along. That's what makes good poetry, is Fellers that write it and have lived it first.
We attend a little country church just down the road that has no plumbing and we've got an outdoor facility I'd put up againest anyone's. We carry in the water for coffee and the little brown house next to the little brown church is so popular we have a hitch rack for passing cowboys during the week. The kids love it cause where else will they get such an experience. Course once in a while they get to playing Jail after church and someone gets locked in.
Have a great day, Pard. :wink: