Everyday Cowboy

He steers a steady path through the canyon
Slanting sun rising over the ridge
The solitary cowboy riding high in the saddle
Worn stetson tucked down over his brow
Thoughts come and go in a changing world
The horse is obsolete on the streets of LA
No place left to hitch up and cool
Spurs on boots, a bygone deal
Redundant cowboy lost on the sidewalk
Reminisces of campfires and six shooter days
Riding shotgun,
Lancaster’s blazing,
No one messed with the Tombstone cowboy
Teeming buffalo roamed the wild prairies
Countless numbers as far as the eye could see
Indian braves in painted war faces
Hunted and stalked in raiding parties
Desert sands painted a bleak landscape
Tumbleweeds and cacti dotted the terrain
While the lonesome cowboy polished his gun
Cleaning both barrels with professional care
He doesn’t give a damn for the modern world
Just happy to draw on another nicotine puff
Values come, and values go
But integrity remains in the cowpoke’s heart
He knows his worth is not weighed in gold
Rather still, it’s the feeling in his soul
Free as a hawk
Wild as a bronco
Cool hand Luke
Never beaten to the draw
He straps on his holster
It’s the only world he knows

Copyright by Peter Paton 2005