DRY CRIK Journal

NO, WE WEREN’T POOR

Nice house
painted white
window too.
No roll
catalog.

Went to town
every other
Saturday nite.
Visited on the corner
traded eggs
for groceries.
Sold cream
for cash
No we weren’t poor.

In the summertime
last stop
ice
big block.

In the fall
new shoes
for school.
Bought some
coal too.
No we weren’t poor,

OLD COWBOY

Anguish
the man
his face
the pain
his silence.
His past
the scars.
A map
of mistakes.
Life lived
traveling
too fast.
Dust settling
in the wrinkles.

EXPERT COUNTER

The count
         never questioned
                 Expert counter
Bowlegged and crippled
         Stiff and slow
                 old cowboy
Standing on the rail
         at the gate
                 Eyes alert and quick
Dust cloud
         Stampeding by
                 Bawling, bellerin & crowdin
Mixed herd
         cows, calves and bulls
                 all sizes and colors
The count
         Never questioned
                 Expert counter
Buyer and seller
         Money exchanged
                 movin on
Greenhorn observer
         Stampeding herd
                 NY city baffled
Asked the old cowboy
         How could anyone
                 possibly count em
He replied – Easy –
         Just count the feet
                 Divide by 4
The count
         never questioned
                 Expert Counter.