FOLK COLLECTION 11: The Skaggs Foundation Cowboy Poetry Collection

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Book Title

Composer

Call #

Pages

Author

Poem Title

First Lines

Keywords

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

The Gate

It sags an' it drags before four mounted men, his foot hits the leather this time an' again, as they know without lookin' what the boy has to learn

earn, spoke, proclaim, eliminate

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

The Scent

The scent of cow's cud hung with flyless dung in blades matted and fading and the smell of a calf could be proved by the track last laid on larger ones leaving.

sulphur, cigarette smoke, wild, flush, traffic

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Old Ladies

I've followed old ladies the long way around protectin' their babies and stoppin' to sound off to me, my dog or my horse

dust, fuss, dog, calf, mother, path, baby

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Goddamn Clothes

The hillside's bare and short of hair, clay-red instead of blond, and damn few trees still with green leaves upclose or there beyond.

The Animal Rightists of the '50's, flies, puzzles, packed, shed, torn

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Waterholes

Drought is no arena ride you can turn out, the draw is dry for men thet you've forgot about. The waterholes are cracked 'neath leafless trees,

survive, fortune, lifeless, shrunked, heart, mind

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Wood And Steel

The steel trap's sprung in a buckeye tree and the bark's grown tight 'round its jaws; how many men been here before me, how many men without laws?

crust, rust, strong, designs

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Explain

I find thet man don't understan' much more than a shallow word an' poetry will always be a feelin' escapin' the herd. It's in the child and in the wild,

street, mystery, canyons, random, language, bars

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Shepherd's Song

When shepherd's song so stills the silent air beyond the sounds the politicians sell, I'd like a ticket close so I could hear the cowboys sing 'em all,

hell, money, folks, poet, delayed, fade

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

The Blame

A pretty rotten way to treat a cow, to blame her for the way thet cities grow in spaces where more profit does allow ranchettes and septic tanks

repair, ride, bigger, despair, Bob Budd, Wyoming Stock Growers Assoc

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Treaties

A mass of muscle shaped and bred to freely move as one instead, where impulse cues with legs and hands the graceful dance the work demands beyond the street,

bloody, fear, trust, choke, dust, jars, danger

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Disgustin' Stuff

I've seen the best intentions in men head'd to the trough turn soft an' damn near foolish 'cause they nev'r get enough, jess forgettin' how to live without

politics, manure, quite, traits

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

The Trail

The coyote track in haste to keep in sight pursues the cloven hooves thet move ahead behind a bobcat print thet's slowed when bucks begin the fight,

erase, chase, pieces, meat, worst, cursed

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Some Spot

I only ask thet you might leaves us be and save the pure for your own sweet behind, refrain from huggin' bark off ev'ry tree and tryin' to make Ma Nature fit your mind.

cement, rare, survive, share, beast

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Her Dry Breath

A drought jess seems to suck the life from trees and earthy orientations, leafless; the beast is weak in man, the wind can tease the frost in dusty cakes, a powder mess.

land, churns, kiss, boil, load, moment, spirit

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

The Whiskey Rain

The whiskey rain premature for feed but timely for drought dust and the sane smells a shepherd needs the dusk thunderstorm

brilliance, truth, coffee, booze, scents, turbulence

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Hear Her Comin'

A thunder beats inside of me from clouds of doubt, the drought and dust; hear her comin'? I know it's she who hangs in waitin' jess to see me naked,

gentle, cold, disagree, trust, thunder

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Mongolian Beef

Different woks and meltin' pots find calves and wildlife dodgin' shots from refugees, the view-nam war, killin' mor'n the worst predator. In packs they roam

shoot, killed, wild, beef, car, anger, expound, dollar, Nouveau Purists of the '90's

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

The Twin

The fawn bleat terrorizes the dry canyon to silence as all size eyes search the treeless slopes of wild oats the doe blows

eagle, defiant, escape, silence, Animal Rightists of the '90's

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

No Antidote

I become confused and sometimes amused about these animals rights thet protect the dolphin when tuna they're killin' and cannin' for bigoted bites.

christmas goose, escargot, shells, kitchen, bacteria, diseases, pets, Greg Quakenbush

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Rodeo Poet

I pack a leg limpin' with dull pain, (an old habit with the cold, barometric low, a dry storm with no rain); jammed with buckin' too many bottom

dreams, beast, dare, cold, unpredictable

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

The Difference

A cowboy tends to figger things in terms he understands, and the more he learns, the less he know, as his mind expands; ain't nothin' certain in this life,

guarantees, business, soul, money

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

A Cowboy Heaven

A cowboy heaven has no bounds nor fences to repair, nor sacred scent thet surrounds the cool and crystal air. There's meadow grass thet's cut with criks

critters, rain, teases, Pearly Gates, angel

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

A Musin'

A man may wrestle within the minds of men and he may search his own for love thet's lost, but saddle'd-up he squints into the wind again and ready for some ground

lies, forever, stranger, disarm, cold, eggs

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Better Placed

The peck'rwood rots on redwood rails sunk deep thet can't corral the wild thet's left or dead, the roof has shed her worst, collapsed to keep a spot for somethin' small to make a bed.

reclaims, pride, erased, spirit, U.S. Cattlemen

Muses Of The Ranges

FC 11 D-28

John C. Dofflemyer

Passin' The Cup

Beneath the crust thet comes with circumstance there runs a stream of undercurrents pure thet's stepped in time with her unbridled dance but never held her fast

true, sooth, wrestle, demand, smoke