In nineteen sixty-three,
on our fourth birthday
my twin brother and I
blew out candles,
ate cake
and unwrapped our identical presents.
> A paper-felt cowboy hat
> a pair of die-cast toy six-shooters with belt and holsters
> a red bandanna
After lunch,
we mounted our tricycles
and rode to the rescue.
Yippy-ty-yi-yo!
Our pal Tommy
tied the coaster wagon to his tricycle
so there would be a stagecoach to rob.
There may have been cattle rustlers involved.
My memory is hazy.
There were certainly debates
about who said "BANG!" first.
Violent death on the Wisconsin desert sands
isn't so bad
when you can get up and play some more.
You have to play nice.
If you pitch a fit and whine,
you may be required to take a nap.
Yippy-ty-yi-yo!
I wanted to be a cowboy when I grew up
But then I saw a real horse
which was incredibly big and scary.
My feet are flat,
so wearing cowboy boots
is utter torture.
I suppose if I had actually been a cowboy,
I'd be a cowboy poet.
But I'm just a flat-footed, sod-buster poet.
No hat, no cattle, just a notebook and pen.
I'm OK with that
because I can still watch old westerns
and listen to cowboy songs
on the internet.
Yippy-ty-yi-yo!
This is my favorite cowboy song. I posted it here because I can.
Feel free to post your favorite cowboy songs in the comments.