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RUNNI N’ WI LD HORSES
The chase, the chase, the race is on
The mustangs in the lead
The cowboys hot behind the band
Like centaurs, blurred with speed
The horses’ necks are ringin’ wet
From keepin’ up the pace
And tears cut tracks into the dust
Upon the rider’ s face
The rank ol’ mare sniffs out the trail
While never breakin’ stride
But fast behind the wranglers come
Relentless, on they ride
Until the canyon walls close in
And punch’ em through the gap
Where bottled up, they paw and watch
The cowboy shut the trap
And that’ s the way it’ s been out west
Since Cortez turned’ em loose
We thinned the dinks and with the herd
We kept an easy truce
But someone said they’ d all die off
If cowboys had their way
So they outlawed runnin’ horses
But who am I to say
‘ Cause, hell, I’ m getting’ older, boys
And though I miss the chase
His time, like mine, has come and gone’
We’ re both so out of place
The glamour of our way of life
Belies our common fate
I’ m livin’ off my pension check
And he’ s a ward of state
But what a time! When he and I
Ran hard across the land
Me breathin’ heavy down his neck
Him wearin’ no man’ s brand
No papers gave us ownership
To all the ground we trod
But it belonged to me and him
As sure as there’ s a God
And if I could, I’ d wish for him
And for myself, likewise
To finally cross the Great Divide
Away from pryin’ eyes
So in the end he has a chance
To die with dignity
His carcass laid to rest out there
Where livin’ , he ran free
And coyotes chew his moldered bones
A fitting epilogue
Instead of smashed up in a can
For someone’ s townhouse dog.
www.baxterblack.com
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