Blog Poetry Three

,

.COWBOYS AND FLOWERS

WE THE COWBOY MEN

WITH THE DAISY CHAINS

FLOWER GARLANDS

THE CATTLE HERDERS

THE MEN ON HORSEBACK

CARRIED HIGH IN THE SADDLE

OLD TAN LEATHER TREATED LIKE NEW

LEATHER CARE AND WAX KITS

AND ALL THE MEN WORKING IN THE LONELY PLACES

COWBOYS ON THE FRINGE OF SOCIETY

POOR FARM BOYS

THE DOWNTRODDEN

THE REAL AMERICANS

FEEDING THE CITY FOLK

DOWN ON DROVERS ROAD

CATTLE KINGS IN COLONIAL AMERICA

BENEATH THIS SKIN A MAN

WILD APPALACHIA TRAILS

BORN A COW KEEPERS SON

LONG HAIR ACROSS THIS NAKED PLAINS

THE BIG HERD BESIDE THE RAILWAY TRACKS

HEADED HOME TO THE STOCKYARDS

GILDED BOYS AND PENNY MEN

HAVING GOOD NIGHTS

HERDER FLANK

HORSE AND GUN

SWING DRAG

A FIVE THOUSAND CATTLE HEAD

DROVE ON TOWARDS THE BLUE SKYE

RECOUNTING A STORY FROM LONG AGO

ONCE I WAS A FARMERS SON

SAT HERE IN THE SADDLE

A RARE PAYING JOB

THE RITES OF PASSAGE TO A YOUNG MAN

OWNING A HORSE AND A GUN

I WRITE LETTERS HOME

WITH NO FORWARDING ADDRESS

PENMANSHIP ADRIFT ON THE PAGE

HANDWRITING WELL WISHES TO MY OLD MUM

CHEERLESS AND TIRESOME I RECOUNT TALES

AND KILL CATTLE FOR THE MEN TO EAT

THE LIGHT IS HARD OUT HERE UNDER THE STARS

AND I SHAKE AT THE COLD IN THE RAIN

AND TREMBLE AT THE THUNDER IN THE SKYE

A PREGNANT COW DROPPED A NEW BORN CALF

AND THE CALF GOT SHOT SOON AFTER IN THE HEAD

AND I CRIED LIKE A BABY

BAWLED MY EYES OUT

AT THIS STINKING WASTEFULNESS OF LIFE

THERES NO GLAMOUR IN BEING A COWBOY

OLD TRAILS AND CATTLE TOWNS

I WISH I WAS A CHEROKEE INDIAN

CROSSING THE SONORAN DESERT LAND

A HEROIC COWBOY

WITH WATER FOR MY DESERT THIRST

UNDER THE ORANGE SKYE

AS SAGUARO CACTUS TREES BECOME THE LANDSCAPE

AND I RECALL WHITE STALLIONS RANCH

WITH ITS HIGH WHITE WASHED WALLS

AND THE SMILE OF A MAN NAMED NED

I REMEMBER SEEING THOSE WESTERN MOVIES

AND THINKING IF ONLY THAT WAS ME

HOW EASY LIFE WOULD BE

HONORABLE MEN

COWBOYS SEEN FROM THE ROAD

IN RANCHING COUNTRY

AMERICAN COWBOY

WITH MOHICAN HAIR

BOY PUNK

CAUGHT IN A PLAINS LIFE

THE BUFFALO AND THE INDIAN

THE COWBOY IN THE VILLAGE SQUARE

RIDING THROUGH THE CITY ON HORSEBACK

A NATIVE COUNTRY

AND A NATIVE MAN

BECOMING JUST SO AMERICAN

A VISION IN THE SUNSET

MIDNIGHT COWBOYS

THE POWERS OF THE MOUNTAINS

THE SYMPHONY IN THE GRASSES

BOOTS UNDER THE BED

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER

WITH THE SMALL FLOWERS ABOVE HIS HEAD

HIS FACE ABOVE MINE

AND THE SOFT BED WITH GOOD WOOL BLANKETS

THICK MERINO WOOL

TO KEEP US WARM THROUGH THE COLD NIGHTS

LIVING A GOOD LIFE

AND BEING A GOOD MAN TO A GOOD MAN

THIS HONEST COUNTRY LIFE

HE WAS KIND LIKE THAT

HE SAID THERE ARE LEGENDS OUT HERE

THE CATTLE AMONGST THE MEN

REAL MEN

STRONG MEN

THE KIND THAT KISS YOU

AND DRIVE YOU HOME

WHO BUY YOU FLOWERS

AND STUFF LIKE THAT

YOU ARE A REAL COWBOY

IF YOUR A BEAUTIFUL MAN

THE LOVES OF A COWBOY

STAY STRONG UNDER A DESERT SKYE

HE SAID

WE WALKED ON PAINTED STARS

AND TOUCHED THE MOON

BELOW THE WHITE CLOUDS

FILLED WITH THE IVORY GEESE

THAT BECAME THE EGG SHELLS

HEAVENLY THAT BLUE SKYE

I KNEW A YOUNG COWBOY

I KNEW A YOUNG MAN

1975

ON THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO

THE MEN IN TIGHT JEANS WITH THE WHITE T SHIRTS

AND THE BIG COWBOY HATS

SMOKING FLOWER CIGARETTES

AND BIG COWBOY BOOTS

IN THE CITY LATE AT NIGHT

DOWN ON MARKET STREET

THE BOYS OF THE CASTRO NEIGHBOURHOOD

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

IN THEIR BEST COWBOY GEAR

UNDER THE GOLDEN ASH TREES

THE WESTERN TOWN MEN WORE DAISY CHAINS

AND WAITED FOR THE END OF THE NIGHT

THE LAST CALL RANG OUT IN THE BARS

SHUTTING TIME BEGAN

BELOW A NIGHT FULL OF STARS

MILLIONS OF MEN KISSED EACH OTHER GOODNIGHT

AND FELL ASLEEP IN EACH OTHERS ARMS

DREAMING OF XANADU

A PLACE OF SUCH GREAT IDYLLIC MAGNIFICENCE BEAUTY

AND THOSE HOT SUMMER NIGHTS

IN THE CITY WERE FILLED WITH THE SOUNDS OF STRAY CATS ON THE ROOFTOPS

WITH ALL THE BEAUTIFUL COWBOY MEN

FULL OF THE SPIRITS AS THEY AMBLED ON HOME

AS A FLOCK OF BLUE PIGEONS FLEW LOW OVERHEAD

ON THEIR WAY TO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS JUST BEFORE THE RISING OF THE DAWN

AND THE GARBAGE MEN BEGAN TO CLEAN THE STREETS

WITH THE CLANG OF THE METAL TRASH CANS

THE LOUD NOISE FROM THE GARBAGE TRUCKS

THE BREAKING OF GLASS BOTTLES FROM THE BINS

AS THEY ROLLED AROUND IN THE BODY OF THE TRUCK

MIDNIGHT WAILED IN THE NOISE OF THE CATS

AND THE SOUND OF THE WHITE MOTHS AT THE WINDOWS

BECAME THE DAY AND THE NIGHT

THE SUN AND THE MOON

CRAZY ON PAINTED WINGS

AND THE LAST TIME I SAW THE FLOWERS

I SAT DOWN AND LIT MY CIGARETTE

IN MY BEST COWBOY FLANNEL

ACROSS THE ROOM FROM THE MIRROR

MY REFLECTION STOOD

MY FACE HAD AGED A THOUSAND YEARS FROM MY YOUTH

SOMETHINGS ARE LOST FOREVER

WHILE BLUE THINGS CARRY THROUGH

I MOURNED

THE BROWN ONIONS

THE RADISHES

THE CAPSICUM AND THE ZUCCHINIS

THE DEEP GREEN CELERY HEARTS

ARTICHOKES

AVOCADOS AND OLIVES

THIS HAS BECOME SUCH A LONG NIGHT

AS I LEANED BACK IN MY CHAIR AGAINST THE KITCHEN WALL

WRITING A GROCERY LIST

THE REFRIGERATORS DOORS OPEN

AND THE LIGHT IS ON

ILLUMINATING THE INTERIOR

GOURMET TOMATOES

EGGPLANTS

PORK CHOPS

EGGS

COLD CUT MEATS

A BLOCK OF CHEESE

THESE ARE THE THINGS I NEED

THE CLUNK OF THE THERMOSTAT ROARS THE MOTOR INTO LIFE

AND I DRIFT OFF INTO SLUMBER

MY FACED LAYED DOWN ON THE COLD LAMINATED TABLE

TOMORROW THERE ARE SUPERMARKETS

AND ERRANDS TO RUN

BILLS TO PAY

AND KIN FOLK TO SEE

BUT FOR NOW IAM IN THE HAPPY PLACE

THESE GOLDEN ROLLING HILLS

A 5AM COWBOY

IN THE CITY BY THE BAY

THESE FOLK FROM CALIFORNIA

WHERE FLAX GOLDEN WAS THE SUN

WHERE THE WHITE SANDS OLEANDERS BLOOMED

AND GREW THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE

THE CHARTREUSE GRASS OF THE CITY

SPRING NIGHTS

BEFORE THE LONG AND THE EVENTUAL DAWN

SANDCASTLES AND CALIFORNIAN HIGHWAYS

DREAM MEADOWS

GRASS FLOWERS

AND OPEN FIELDS

THESE HOLY LANDS

JERUSALEM

AUSTRALIA

AND BEYOND CALIFORNIA

SHINING LIKE A BLUE EYED BOY IN THE NIGHT

THROUGH THE WITCHING HOURS

3AM

AFTER EVENFALL

THE HOUSE IS QUIET IN THE NIGHT

WHILE YOU WERE FAST ASLEEP

WAITING ON GOD

AND I WAS PRACTICING MY FAITH

STARING AT THE SKYE

IN THE LAND OF COWBOYS AND FLOWERS

I SAW A KING WEARING A CROWN

WATCHING THE WILD ALBATROSSES FLY