(To Dad)
How tall he sat upon
his polished leather saddle
He wore a Stetson hat
boots ‘n chaps
Calloused hands
body strong ‘n agile
Sharp spurs ‘n western shirts
with pearl snaps
A “roll-your-own” rest-easy
’tween chapped lips
“Bull Durham” tag
dangled from shirt pocket
Cigars he’d smoke
when “feeling in the chips'
While astride his favorite Q-horse,
“Black Rocket”
His spurs did jingle,
on old line-shack boards
At night we’d braid rawhide
ropes ‘n quirts
We’d sip sweet spring water
from hollow gourds
By crackling fire
we’d darn socks ‘n mend
torn ‘n tattered shirts
My 13th year spent
on a ranch dad worked
it did change my life
Art of ridin, huntin,
ropin ‘n camp cooking I did learn
first chew of tobacco,
A new ‘n shiny
stockmen’s knife
Acrid smoke,
Bleating calves,
Branded hides ‘n
memories still burn
The last of a dying breed
of men my dad was
Once a year
with pockets full of silver,
He’d ride into town
to drink ‘n dance
with whores ‘n peers
Although I suffered when
he wandered off I'd forgive
Because…
He truly walked amongst
a hearty group of pioneers
Thank you dad
for all you gave to me
The laughter, campfires,
deer hunts ‘n great fun
With new-eyes
the great wonders
of nature I now see
I love ‘n miss you Dad,
You 'ole tough, ornery,
“Son-of-a-Gun”
Here we are: me, you, your dad sharing the same name; I wish one day my unborn son would create time to chisel out a niche of golden words for me, the way you have done for your dad. Please comment on my poems.
These memories of your dad are fantastic. It is the best Dad poem ever and so heart felt. I love the description of him. Tears come to my eyes. Keep writing. MKP
What a touching tribute to your dad! Great job, Ray! Blessings, Debora Short
Hey Ray, this is a great tribute to your Dad, who incidentally shares the same name as mine (as do you obviously!) Anyway lovely poem, Moyaxx
Ray, this is such a wonderful way to express your undying love for your dad. How you have this heroic, manly image of your dad is so beautiful. You've painted the portrait of a true MAN. How nice this is! I LOVE the last stanza, it adds such a personal touch that really pulls the smile you've created throughout your poem and ends it with a sincere chuckle. :) Sincerely, Mary
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Ray, This is a beautiful and tender tribute. Reading it brought a tear to my eye. It's funny, isn't it, how things from so long ago burn so vividly in our minds? I still have my dad, but he's definitely getting 'up there' in age. Perhaps I shall call him.... Nice write. I enjoyed this very much. Shannon xoxo