Old Horse or The West has Really Changed

Time was old horse- when we crossed
the Great Divide, riding east into
prairie land-
a cowhand could ride all day
never seeing house or barbwire fence-
and all the schooling a man could ever use was
plain old common horse sense.

As far as the eye could see the
prairie was a sea of grass-
growing wild and high old horse,
wild and high and vast.
But now that time has passed-
posts and wire now string the land-
what grass is left won’t last-
developers soon will cover it over
with shopping centers, parking lots
and fast food stands.

Common sense and you old horse,
are now just not enough-
a lap-top and a Jeep are required
to bring this old cowboy up to snuff.
The west is really changing-
there aint much left to keep-
even tough old Texas Rangers
are using cell phones
and pagers.

You injured yourself old horse, running
the last predator off this range-
how was you to know that wash-out
lay buried just beneath the snow?
They say away with you old horse-
there has to be a change-
you just aint no good anymore-
you’re all crippled up and lame
and your back is saddle sore-
useless old horses got to go-
we need this land for a new condo.

Old horse, after all we’ve been through,
I don’t give a hoot what they need-
they’ll never turn you into dog food
or chicken feed.
We still have two acres of prairie down by the crick
that is still wild and thick-
and no-one will ever see your bum knee old horse,
cause the grass
is still green and lush, and high as your tired old xxx.