A Cowboy Elk and Dog Story

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    Poem Commentary

    circa 1960's on the 3 Circle Arlington WY. Del called me "the Kid from the Bayou" cause' i moved up from Louisiana..

    A Cowboy Elk and Dog Story
    Me and Del
    are riding back from checking on yearling steers
    up in the hills
    we’re riding the edge of this real pretty Aspen treeline
    I’m following behind Del and his two dogs
    casually soaking up the scenery
    that stretches 85 miles
    between us and Laramie Peak
    it's Fall
    the scene is grand 
    I’m riding cool relaxed
    a young cowboy
    ready for anything 
    poised for the unexpected
    not quite 
    this rut crazed 
    nose snorting
    snot blowing Bull Elk
    comes crashing through the Aspen
    stupidly mistakes my horse
    for his rival
    and try’s to obliterate us both
    from the face of the earth
    I am not ready for this
    i become momentarily 'unpoised'
    however, my senses pretty much become attuned
    to the immediacy the situation
    both of our horses become candidates 
    for national saddle bronc of the year
    and this bull elk is not giving up
    until he pounds my horse into the dirt
    (nothing personal against me)-
    though all hell has broken loose
    Del’s two dogs
    Smokey and Bear
    are so well trained that
    they won’t even bark
    unless Del tells them to
    (Del tells them to)
    Smokey and Bear head and tail the Elk
    they turn the 1000 pound
    exceedingly unfriendly Bull Elk 
    back into the trees
    Del calls them off
    two minutes which seemed like 
    two hours
    of extreme what just happened? (the polite version)
    is over 
    we head on back to the barn
    Del rolls up a Bull Durham
    (yep, real cowboys can roll a smoke
    while riding - i never could)
    I light up a Winston
    re-assume my cool relaxed
    yet ready for anything posture in the saddle
    my heart rate a calm
    600 beats per minute
    my face 
    a white 
    blood drained 
    mask
    The dogs, Smokey and Bear
    fall into place behind Del
    walking kinda cocky
    with that
    ‘boy did we do good' look about them
    and
    they did

     

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    Tempestlady commented on A Cowboy Elk and Dog Story

    02-19-2011

    Nice prose write, enjoyed the pla by play and the off handed humor also. Write on...................Tlady
    Reply to Comment

    train64

    02/19/2011

    Thaks T..Typical day on the range.. Train

    StandingBear commented on A Cowboy Elk and Dog Story

    02-18-2011

    A whale of a heart thumping story write, reminds me of a time when I was a kid wearing a red shirt and was chased by an unsuspecting bull. I learned quick to not wear red while walking through unknown areas.
    Reply to Comment

    Teardrops commented on A Cowboy Elk and Dog Story

    02-17-2011

    I truly love this I have a black lab named boomer and when he protects me from a rabbit he gets that "I'm the man look" Ilove your storie and poems of the outdoors and the life you lived thank you for the read Marie
    Reply to Comment

    Whiskers commented on A Cowboy Elk and Dog Story

    02-17-2011

    Well written t64, this story made my day. This stretched a smile so wide my eye's grew twice in size! Felt like I was there taggin along. W.
    Reply to Comment

    train64

    02/17/2011

    Hey W: Thanks..more of a story than poetry..So glad you enjoyed it.. Def. one those WTF days.. I pulled my rope and was hitting him on the butt when he was charging Del and his horse..Then he'd turn on me..actually we both should have just hauled A...Dogs saved us..Train

    Poetry is what is lost in translation.

    Robert Frost (1875-1963) American Poet.

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