The Silver Lining

Trixie's Face Cut

Trixie and I had a celebration last week. The doctor claimed her totally healed from her accident. It was about a year ago when it happened out at our camp. She was riding a four-wheeler and went through a barbed wire fence. That darn thing ripped her face from the edge of her mouth all the way up to her her ear!

After one surgeon stitched her up pretty good, she was referred to a plastic surgeon so there would be no scar. I'm not certain if Y'all know about plastic surgery, but they take thousands of pieces of skin from one of two places. One site for donor skin is on the thigh and the other is from the butt cheek. I told the surgeon that Trixie had been through enough and volunteered my butt for her skin transplant.

It was a rough go for me, because my left butt was pretty raw and I could not ride my horse for nearly six weeks. I did not care as long as Trixie would get better. So they transplanted my butt skin to Trixie's face. It was a perfect match. 

I am always looking for a 'Silver Lining' when we have difficult times. One day it hit me! My mother-in-law came to the hospital, bent down, and gave Trixie a kiss on her cheek!

Keep America Beautiful

I was after supplies riding down the mountain along the Rosebud River.

The trail was rough and rocky, but bein' this close to God made me shiver at this here gift.

I stopped to watch the swaying in the riverbed as the current bent many a weed.

I saw a ten-inch trout ripple the water as he snagged a bug for feed.

Both horse and I leaned down to quench ourselves of thirst,

And I knew this here cool morning we were the first to visit Nature's sanctuary.

The water 'bout cracked my teeth as I sipped it from its source.

The rapid's spray misted me and helped to cool my horse.

With the music of the churning water playing at my side,

I didn't mind the thirty-mile ride into town down below.

The closer I got to signs of people I had to stop and think

About why the river changed its color and why it had a stink.

My horse, she blew and snorted. Her fear she couldn't hide.

For she she had never seen a mattress lying by a river's side.

Clogging the flow were soft-drink cans, shards of glass, plastic wrappers, and an old mason jar.

The water licked the sides of an old abandoned car!

They say I'm an endangered species. They say us cowboys are a dying breed.

A cowboy and a rancher would never harm something we all need.

I saw a bumper sticker go floatin' by. It said "KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL."

I dipped my head, lowered my hat, and wiped a teardrop from my eye.

from

The Campfire Collection of Cowpoke Poetry

by

David "Buffalo Bill" Nelson