FOLK COLLECTION 11: The Skaggs Foundation Cowboy Poetry Collection

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

103

George Rhoades

Roy Lee, Sailor

Roy Lee had finished basic, Wore his sailor uniform To the little two-room school On a day bright and warm. In the autumn of '44, War fever gripped the land

conflict, navy, poor, war, uniform, died

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

105

George Rhoades

Saturday Trip to Town

Me and my brother rode in back Of the old rattlin' pickup With cream cans, egg crates, Sometimes chicken coops, Garden produce, anything to sell;

small, theater, comic book, drugstore

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

108

George Rhoades

Shovelin' Out The Cowlot

Shovelin' away In the old cowlot, I learned a lesson I never forgot- Milk's not the only Thing, I allow, That comes Out of a cow.

lesson, milk, cow

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

109

George Rhoades

Sky

The sun like a red-hot penny Drifts across the burning sky; We pray for rain, Yearn for rain, Wait and watch The great vault above us. Red sky at sunset,

stars, clouds, thunder, songs, time

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

110

George Rhoades

Talkin' Turkey

I must have been about five, But I remember the scene well; 'Twas along the country road By our farm as twilight fell. My granny raised turkey then,

nest, Turk, belong. hens

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

112

George Rhoades

The Snake and the Doorknob

Four years old on the farm, Cows, turkeys, squealin' pigs, Lots and lots of chickens And chores gatherin' eggs. A snake has been gettin' Our eggs and slippin' out.

porcelain, doorknob, dumb

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

113

George Rhoades

This Land

We buried him today In a corner of the cemetery Where the wind blew from Texas Across the sunbaked prairie. He always said that's where He'd finally come to rest,

adapt, landscape, countryside, paradise, town

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

115

George Rhoades

This Old House Did Its Job

The old house stands forlorn On the windy hill, Deserted, ruined, weatherworn, Despite all, abiding still. It did its work back then,

guard, roof, farmhouses, cheer

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

117

George Rhoades

Windmill

Plow, barb wire, windmill, Essentials, they say, For settling the plains. Our old windmill rattled, Squeaked, creaked clattered, Moaned and groaned,

metallic, blades, repair, grease

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

118

George Rhoades

Winter Wheat

Winter's icy frosts and freezes Leave field, pasture, meadow Brown, yellow and dreary drab In the day's pale, fading glow. Hillsides empty and windswept;

sadness, lonely, rebirth, seasons

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

122

George Rhoades

Best for Thinkin'

Best for thinkin'- Some say drinkin', But not for me, drinkin' muddles me. Some say walkin' Or high-brow talkin'; Walkin's not for me, Too much to see;

meditation, cane pole, fishing, bore

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

123

George Rhoades

Cemetery In the Fog

A crow calls from the entrance gate, Mournful wind whispers in the trees, Fog hugs the ground, drifts slowly past Tombstones, dampens the fallen leaves.

gloom, bloom, peacefully, shadows, lost

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

124

George Rhoades

Class of '53

Deceased list grows longer and longer, Their numbers fall precariously; Born during dusty Depression days, The class of '53. Grayer, slower, more cautious now,

fortune, dreams, wisdom

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

125

George Rhoades

Cold Rain

From my front porch on the hill, Below the trees barren in November, Winds wailing and a cold rain falls, I huddle in my coat and remember. Sunnier times, times of laughter,

thunder, lightning, chilly

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

126

George Rhoades

End Is Near?

Have you noticed there's More ways for the human race to expire? The question used to be- A bang or a whimper, or ice or fire. Now we've got space alien invasion,

ozone, nuclear war, global warming, pandemic, doom

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

127

George Rhoades

Everybody

In a land where Everybody is somebody, And nobody is nobody, Freedom and liberty, Prosperity and happiness Can come to anybody.

somebody, nobody, liberty, anybody.

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

128

George Rhoades

Fear And Empathy

The pendulum swings Between fear and empathy- Fear of loss, Loss of rights, property, Wealth, peace of mind, Fear of others- Sympathy, caring, Generosity,

pity, empathy, feelings, relating

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

129

George Rhoades

Good Intention

You know what they say, With some apprehension, About the road to hell and good intention. I don't know about hell, But I get a bit of a chill,

treadmill, hell, dusty

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

130

George Rhoades

Greed

Greed came down The raod today, Fat and bloated With this to say: "I grow best On fertile ground, Where rank, wealth, Privilege abound. "I'm driven by ego,

selfish, riches, poverty, More

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

131

George Rhoades

Hope

Green tinge on the mesquite, Winecups and buttercups in the field, Grass shoots popping up, Prickly pear's yellow flowers, Scissortails in the air,

warm, spring, prairie, south

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

132

George Rhoades

Last Newspaper

Grandpa, Grandpa, what's that In the glass case Back of the museum In a dark and dusty place? Why, the one man told the boy, That's the last newspaper Ever printed in this town,

information, entertainment, yesterday, tomorrow

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

134

George Rhoades

Leaves In The Stream

Meandering stream, Bubbling, gurgling, rippling, Swirling eddies- Leaves slowly falling, Drifting into the water, Floating along- Some caught in tiny pools Nestle close to shore,

current, agitation, downstream

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

135

George Rhoades

Less Than One Percent

They're less than one percent, The ones who sacrifice, Who fight the nation's wars, Pay the ultimate price. The rest of us bear no burden, Endure no joint hardship,

uniform, military, enemy

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

136

George Rhoades

Little Coffins, Little Graves

Little coffins, little graves; Tiny girl with auburn hair Asking Santa for a pretty hat, A bright ribbon to fasten there. Boy learning to ride a horse, Playing catch with Dad;

fireman, painter, school, joyful

After the Chisholm

FC 11 R-45

138

George Rhoades

Mockingbird World

I watched a pair of mockingbirds Build a nest in my red oak tree, Foundation of twigs, walls of leaves, String, ribbon, sturdy as can be. I wondered what they thought of me,

labor, sing, parade, guide