Ballad Of Roddy Pippin Poem by Gerald Hanners

This is a true story, so I've been told.
It was written up in the newspaper not too long ago.
It's all about Roddy Pippin, a cowboy want-to-be.
Well, he was a boy all right, but he had no cattle you see.
'All hat and no cattle, ' you've heard it said.
Well, for Roddy Pippin, that was the life he led.
He was young, not yet twenty years old.
But, Roddy was determined to be a cowboy-tough and bold!
He wasn't just talk. No, sir! He could ride'em and rope 'em!
But, a cowboy needs cattle and Roddy didn't own 'em.
So, he got this idea, simple as can be.
How to build a herd and live in cowboy luxury.
He decided if you can't get them the honest way,
Well, by dern, just steal 'em and you don't have to pay!
So, Roddy became a modern day Red River rustler.
A midnight wrangler.A moonlight hustler.
Who's to notice? A few missing here? A few missing there?
In Texas and Oklahoma those cows could be anywhere.
He did okay for almost two years,
Being in the shady business of stealing steers.
Any fool knows where the cattle are at.
Open a gate and guide 'em through with just your hat.
So, he rustled them for the money they would bring.
A few hundred dollars each made the cash register ring.
But, Roddy wasn't satisfied.He wanted more!
He wanted to make a bigger score.
And, there was the diabetes that was making him blind.
And it weighed heavy on his mind.
He wanted to do something really daring!
He dreamed of holding up a truck that was blaring
Down the road, carrying dozens of steers.
But, that's when he got caught and sentenced to eight years.
He left behind his Resistol hat, his horse 'Baby Face, '
And his sweetheart, Jacie, to plead his case.
And, those who say Roddy Pippin's life was unfortunate fate.
He was just a cowboy-born a hundred years too late.