Gypsies of the saddles are cowhands of the rodeo with no ranch commitments.

Like sagebrush, dusty, brittle--
with angst on my shoulders--
calves are roped with pigging string
by gypsies of the saddle.
Bronco busters are roamers
hankerin' for romance
amongst sweethearts of the range
but they don't hang spurs up long.
Steer roping and bulldogging--
just to earn a gold buckle--
can trim the burrs off one's hide.
Keep faith bareback riding . . .
don't touch the rigging or bronc . . .
your score'll be legendary.
Breakin' an arm or a leg
goes with the territory
of a romping rodeo.
With their hats in hand held high,
their courage never-ending,
the gypsies of the saddle
ride until their bones are laid
beneath the lonely sagebrush,
dusty and gray, on the prairie trail.

**Published by Cascade Reader, Volume 2, Issue 1, Winter 2003