“Cowboy’s Toast” – Dick Gibford
Here’s to the best of the good
And the worst of the bad,
All them old horses I rode
Since I was a lad.
To the do’s and the don’ts
And the why’s and the not’s,
And all them round-up cooks
A-scrubbin’ out their iron pots,
And the blizzard that bites,
And the sun that grows grass,
And the saddle that wears a hole
In your pants,
To the high lonesome deserts
And timbered peaks,
And the smell of your hide
When you ain’t bathed for weeks,
To the warm summer breeze
At first light of day,
And the wild nights in town
When you gather your month’s pay,
To the ladies that dance
To the tune of the juke,
And the sight of the pickup
All stained with dust,
And the rough, rocky road back to camp,
Tobacco that’s spilt,
And the papers that’s damp,
And the long hot dry circle
You ride the next day,
A-thinkin’ real hard on changin’ your ways.
And here’s to your health
When you’re back on your feet,
All the ridin’ and ropin’
Done up so neat.
Way out in the brush
Where no one can see,
To the burnin’ hair
At the brandin’ bee.
And those oysters that’s et
Direct from the fire,
All flavored with ashes
And sagebrush smoke.
And here’s to your life-long desire
Whether you’re rich
Or whether you’re broke,
To the peace in your mind
When you reach your goal,
To the truth in your heart
And the wealth in your soul.
And let’s toast to the trail blazers,
Wherever they be,
Their genius and courage
That made us so free.
And the greatest artists
Down through the years,
The Russells and the Phippins,
And last frontiers.
And here’s joy to the present
And to the future with hope,
And the quick dally velta*
At the end of the rope.
Found in “Cowboy Poetry – A Gathering” available in our Bookstore
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