What’s That Smell?In the 1930s, the great depression was in full swing, but the Wellston school district was one of the richest in America. A 1930 oil find in Drake County had boosted the local economy, and educational spending grew with it. As a result, its taxable revenue had grown to...
On Sunday, my daddy used to get up lateEveryone in the houses breakfast had to wait No one can eat before our dadWe didn’t mind. It wasn’t that bad It was the one day he could relaxFrom six grueling days of lumber stacks Daddy was a carpenter. He was skilledAt his...
the air is cool and crispBlond hair escaping just a whisp Galloping along on a purebred horseOn a dirt trail, no particular course Escaping your usual normRiding away to silently mourn All the bubbling words in the airSpoken radically, no thought or care Galloping along toward colorful fieldsWildflowers overflowing with a...
The old willows limbs gently sway in the breezeSmall children playing underneath doing as we pleased Making mud pies in old tin cansWaiting to be eaten by unsuspecting fans Mom never had to worry or wonder where we’d beShe knew our favorite hangout was underneath that willow tree There were no...
Watching June bugs on a warm summer nightThey hit the window pane as they dance to the lighton a lazy June bug night They’ll flap two sets of sturdy wingsAs you quietly rock on your front porch swingListening to the music of their flapping wings singWhat a lazy June bug night...
On a late spring morning in West Texasriding through pasture overgrown with brush Cowpunchers pushed a calf into a clearing.The calf will need to be roping if it is a yearling. The Cowboy throws a loop around the yearling’s neck, and it will mourn. The calf cannot escape the rope tied...
Trail driving was grueling for the CowboyNot all marshmallows and campfire stories A Cowboys friends were fewUnless you counted the smelly Moo’s They never slept very SoundThe Cows were up and down you are up before dawnWith Cowboy wear on Snaps and plaid shirtsfull of holes and dirt Day after dayThe...
To the Cowboy, the saddle was his everythingThe most important asset for an interview to bring If he owned the saddleThat was half a cowboys battle The rancher would provide the horseHe rarely offered the saddle, of course To own your saddle was not cheapit was something you were going to...
