"Old-Timey Cowboys"

They ride up through my memory,

Cowboys of yester-year,

Sometimes they bring me laughter,

And other times a tear.

I hear the creak of leather,

The jingle of a spur,

My mother fed them dinner,

I know that they loved her.

They way they sat their saddles,

The coiling of their ropes,

The stories that they told me,

About their sins and hopes.

They taught me to track cattle,

And catch the wildest ones,

Before they hit the brush, boy,

You got to get it done.

I watched their way with horses,

The turns and stops and spins,

Those old ranchy geldings,

Could do it all back then.

They taught me how to doctor,

And know when one was sick,

How to brand and castrate,

And never miss a trick.

I learned to stretch the wire tight,

And how to set a post,

Go fix the broken places,

Not things I miss the most.

When I was a-learning,

About the cowboy way,

I never dreamed a single time,

That there would come a day,

When mostly in my memory,

I’d think about those times,

And turn that way of living,

into cowboy rhymes.

There was old R.C. Holten,

That we called Uncle Sweet,

And Sidney Joe and Billy,

As mentors hard to beat.

Ray was a day worker,

And so was Brannon, too,

Hollis from New Mexico,

And Dean knew what to do.

Those old-timey cowboys,

Who worked there for my Dad,

In spite of all their crazy,

Gave me all they had.

I wouldn’t say it’s over,

‘Cause I still wear my hat,

And saddle up my pony,

And go where cows are at.

But most of these old cowboys,

Who showed me what to do,

Have all crossed o’er the river,

To heaven it is true.

Or else they soon will be there,

And that’s my strong belief,

Because of faith in Jesus,

They will find His relief.

I know one day I’ll see ‘em,

It won’t be very long,

We’ll ride once more together,

And sing bright heaven’s song.

“…for then we will be at home with the Lord…” (2 Corinthians 5:8, NLT)

Art by Keith Batchellor, ketihbatchellor.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Keith, and God bless you.