FOLK COLLECTION 11: The Skaggs Foundation Cowboy Poetry Collection

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

132

Chip O'Brien

For preachers confessin'

The first one said there burned in his head a sinful an hellish desire;

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

133

Howard Parker

Horse Tradin

Well, a horse trader he showed up one day, and he sure would wheel and deal, for horses, saddles, bridle bits; anything he could buy or steal.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

135

Howard Parker

A grass-fat steer

Well, a bunch of us had gathered at the bar in Cactus Flat, and talk had turned to cattle and what it takes to get 'em fat.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

136

Pat Richardson

Stop Me

Stop me if you've heard this, the aging cowboy said.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

138

Jim Ross

Dead Doctor (a letter)

I sure hate bothering a man like you, but this cowboy is in an awful stew;

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

140

Skinny Rowland

From bad to worse

Now my wife just left and the well went dry, and my horse is sick and about to die.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

142

Skinny Rowland

The big one

Now in Montana's Big Hole is where I made fishing history, and how you could've missed this tale, to me is sure a mystery.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

144

Skinny Rowland

The road to town

Now that old road out to the ranch, it needs a little repair; it has some ruts along the way and a pothole here and there.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

145

Dakota Slim

Old Cows

We retire into town with beautiful flowers all around

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

146

Dakota Slim

Just thirsty

I had just come out of Nebraska and was riding in the Badlands heat.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

148

Dakota Slim

Hoss Trader

I was headed for Wyoming, just my old hoss and me.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

150

Marie W. Smith

A cowboy's lunch

I didn't know until I married one, that cowboys don't pack a lunch;

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

152

Marie W. Smith

Cowboy Vernacular

Now, this young school-age cowboy still had acouple of years to finish learning English so he could graduate with his peers

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

154

Marie W. Smith

The dance

I asked this crusty cowboy how he had met his future wife, and he settled with eyes a-twinkling to tell me something of his life.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

157

Red Steagall

The picture

The little frame house in the cottonwood trees looks the same as when I was a kid.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

159

Colen H. Sweeten, Jr.

Cow on the fight

This happens a lot to a cowman, you can nod if I'm tellin' it right.

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

162

Co

Working vacation

I found the answer to my boredom in the classified ad that I read; we'll give you a working vacation; that's just what the paper said.

H

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

164

Colen H. Sweeten, Jr.

Seeing Red

Trailing cattle on the highway is not what it used to be, and riding drag on a gentle old nag

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

166

Charles Williams

Rough Road Bill

Now, Rough Road Bill was a tough old coot; a range-ridin', cow-chasin', hard-drinkin galoot.

Western Poetry: In this land of little rain

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

f

167

Perry L. Williams

Dinin Out

Tex went down to the feedstore

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

d

FC 11 H-42

170

Perry L. Williams

No Contest

She woke up long about midnight when she heard her doggie snore

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

172

Perry L. Williams

The cook-off

They circled up the wagons and got ready for the test

Humorous Cowboy Poety: A Knee Slappin Gathering

Dawn Valentine Hadlock and Madge Baird, editors

FC 11 H-42

174

Perry L. Williams

It ain't necessarily so

A man from Czechoslovakia, he came to Dallas town and asked a broke young cowboy to show him all around

Wolf Tracks on the Welcome Mat

FC 11 Z-03

Paul Zarzyski

Face-to-Face

Out of nowhere, you find yourself placed daily before the fortress, rustic logs throbbing