"Last Cowboy"
When the last cowboy dies,
And the last tears we cry,
And the last horse unsaddled,
After the last ride.
When the last steer is caught,
And the last burger bought,
And we raise no more cattle,
‘Cause by vegans we’re taught.
When the last ranch is gone,
Sing the last cowboy song,
Last fiddle fiddles,
And they make Bob Wills wrong,
When all is high-tech,
No more rodeo wreck,
No star-spangled banner,
All suburban I ‘spect.
We’ll trade in what’s real,
For the virtual deal,
Long gone our freedom,
Cuss what we used to feel.
Yes, the liberties go,
And no one will know,
That they outlawed John Wayne,
At the old picture show.
Some smile, then they wink,
When we say things will sink,
When the cowboy is over,
But that’s still what I think.
’Cause we know he’s tied to,
The old red, white and blue,
Let’s try not to lose it,
Whatever we do.
In God we still trust,
Call on Him we must,
Hold onto the old times,
Not leave in the dust.
“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love Me or each other as you did at first!” (Rev. 2:4, NLT)
Sometimes melancholy nostalgia is unhealthy. The “good old days” were never as good as some remember. That said, there is much about our past that is beneficial and should never be forgotten. The church at Ephesus, though faithful in so many ways, had slipped away from their first love. The Spirit called them to remember how it was and return. Do what you once did, the Lord said to them. That’s a good word for us, don’t you think? The point of this poem is not to make cowboys out of people. Rather, it’s what the cowboy way symbolizes and points to that is important. And ultimately, it’s all about returning as individuals to a strong faith in Jesus and loving Him with all our hearts. When we return to Him, many of our other problems will simply go away. That’s truly what I believe. I hope you do, too.
Lord, help us return to our first love for You and one another, in Jesus’ name.
Art by Brent Flory, brentfloryfineart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Brent, and God bless you.