FOLK COLLECTION 11: The Skaggs Foundation Cowboy Poetry Collection

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

25

Norman Edward Rourke

Deep Woods

Beyond the field the deep woods loom, and there amidst its shade, Live the creatues of the wild, Whose sounds are quietly made.

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

26

Norman Edward Rourke

The Last Time

If this were the last time I could hold you close, And share the moments we loved the most, I'd say all those things that should have been said, Instead of keeping them in my head.

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

27

Norman Edward Rourke

Devil Dog

Long ago before most was here, I hunted bobcat, coyote and whitetail deer.

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

29

Norman Edward Rourke

Dust Bowl Days

Sun burns through a paneless square, Wind blows in a door not there, Adobes gone to worthless dust, An old pump handle turned to rust.

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

30

Norman Edward Rourke

Friends

They're my best friends and no matter if I'm upset, They're ready to play or cop a loving pet

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

31

Norman Edward Rourke

Little Pony

Little pony left alone, No one seems to care, Who you are, if you are, or even If you're there

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

33

Norman Edward Rourke

Friend of Mine

Friend of mine, where might you be? I wait each night in hopes to see You at the place we have set, Expecting you will grace us yet

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

34

Norman Edward Rourke

Jane

The night was cold upon the moor, And mist engulfed the heat, A carriage wheels turned swiftly on The slippery road beneath

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

35

Norman Edward Rourke

A Wife of Sixty Years

The old man looked longingly at the place he called home, Where he and his wife of sixty years tilled the soil and moved the stones, She'd gone on and left him to finish what must be done, And soon he would join her in a land beyond the sun

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

36

Norman Edward Rourke

Tallgrass Prairie

Fed by rain, nurtured by the soil, The tallgrass held its own, No foot did trod nor hoof crush down, Its native prairie home

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

38

Norman Edward Rourke

Peaceful Valley Town

The sky was dark; the stars were bright, The moon was deadly cold, The men wore faces of bitterness, And death that was foretold

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

40

Norman Edward Rourke

The Fiddler

The bow lightly touched the strings, As the music filled the air, And the fiddler closed his eyes, So the melody was clear

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

41

Norman Edward Rourke

The Old Vet

He slowly stood on unsure legs, As the flag marched by, And raised his aged shaking hand, In salute with a tear in his eye

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

42

Norman Edward Rourke

Winter

November cold has come by rain, And brought its damp chill in the night, As the grayday shudders a bit, Trees shed their leaves for brittle

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

43

Norman Edward Rourke

Crow Bird

Crow bird flies on midnight wings, Sounding alarm to woodland things, Noisily letting his presence known, This is his land, this is his home

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

44

Norman Edward Rourke

Sam

Early September he made himself known, A single brief encounter then iced tea at his home, His stories regaled in Texas style, And every telling assured a smile

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

45

Norman Edward Rourke

October

October's chill is in the air after stormy days, Morning sun filters through with its warming rays, Grass is wet from frosty rime where leaves a carpet o'er Lay windblown from the trees that bask in warmth no more.

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

46

Norman Edward Rourke

It's How You Think, Cowboy

I wasn't born a cowboy or even in cowboy land, I come from the Deep South with palm trees and sand, But I left that place and traveled west, Eventually in Oklahoma I came to rest

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

47

Norman Edward Rourke

Forever is unknown

Forever is unknown, but that's how long I know I'll love you. The years together have been good, but they passed too quickly to love you.

Wind Songs

FC 11 R-43

48

Norman Edward Rourke

The Old Black Man

The old black man had cotton hair, His face wore lines of years, A shuffling walk with eyes cast down, He'd known since but a boy

Bunkhouse Tales of Wild Hoss Charley

FC 11 L-37

1

Fred Lambert

The Santa Fe Trail

Trail of a continent, tell us your story Full and complete through the vista of years. Tell of the yearning, the hope, and the glory Sown in adventure and watered by tears.

Bunkhouse Tales of Wild Hoss Charley

FC 11 L-37

4

Fred Lambert

The Passing of Brimstone

We were sitting in the bunk house Of the Cross-Bar Lazy B, When the foreman, Wild Hoss Charley, Told this simple tale to me.

Bunkhouse Tales of Wild Hoss Charley

FC 11 L-37

6

Fred Lambert

Uncle Tom Curtis on Calico Trail

Calico? said Uncle Tom, Wall, here's the pint with me-- A puncher ort to stick to steers An' let the wimmin be;

Bunkhouse Tales of Wild Hoss Charley

FC 11 L-37

9

Fred Lambert

Sage Tang

There's somethin' when yo're sniffin' And a-smellin' of the sage That makes a feller lively And forgettin' of his age.

Bunkhouse Tales of Wild Hoss Charley

FC 11 L-37

10

Fred Lambert

Horse Sense

We were ready for the roun-up At the Cross-Bar Lazy B, When the foreman, Wild Hoss Charley, Ropes his bronc and says to me: There's a horse among a thousand, An' I'm cravin' to relate That he's smarter, bo, than any Dad-burned puncher in the state.