From my good friend Kurt Philip Behm. “Here’s one I read in Elko many years ago – The Trail Boss Turned 60”
He has written several books which you can find by clicking HERE.
The Camp Cooky’s singin
again outa tune
About turnin 60
today around noon
What good is there in it
I hear him say
And it got me to thinkin
seein it was his birthday
It seems bein 60’s got two sides
to that coin
One frittered and wrinkled
the other, some don’t live to join
The one who’s 60 if truth be told
is still younger than all those 61 to real old
In the campfire’s crackle of light I can see
how everyone younger’n 59 is prob’ly
………… dumber than me
So if my hands now struggle with the knots
and riggin fer sure
The knowin and the tellin to those
younger’s worth more
Havin outlived many a cow horse, while
lovin them all
The awnry and skitterish, the short
and the tall
The summers ridin drag, and the worst
winters mendin fence
With a slicker full a holes, and that Ol Dog
with no sense
And while the cuttin and the brandin seems
boring to some
It’s the importance of their nature and gettin
things done
When the hats and the spurs and even the
saddles are all gone
And the sun sinks over that last mountain, like
in Dusty’s ol song
I’ll remember the good times, lettin
go of the bad
And think back on the pards and the ladies
I’ve had
Because just like for Cooky, it happened
last year to me
And turnin 60 seemed ranker than any
bronc could ever be
But like that new Visalia saddle the boss man
said was now mine
I’ve found something that’s different, somethin
gentler and kind
The speed and the strength ain’t been
traded for free
And somethin woke up that I guess was always
sleepin in me
And as I yell to the wrangler “Cut me one
gentle and nice”
Without loosin too much pride I ask “can you help
Ol Jim cinch his riggin real tight”
Then once more in the dark I ride off in search
of the herd
Singin that one favorite cow song every
real cowboy has heard
And as I inch up on the lead steer
whisperin mellow and low
‘Yippee ki yay’ Ol Fella
you ready to go
For maybe one last time we push
North thru the dark
The sun still two hours off to the right
of our mark
While in the distance a wolf howls
as that lead steer catches my eye
In that instant I know I’m still needed
a long ways from g’bye
(Dewey Montana: Time Circa 1990’s)