SLIM FARNSWORTH
Paonia, Colorado
About Slim Farnsworth

 

 

Old Fences and Old Cowboys

Why do we mend fence?
A young'un asked his pa.
It jist don't make no sense,
Beat all I ever saw.

That fence is old and tattered,
Weathered, beat and bruised,
Looks a little battered,
All these years that its been used.

Seems t' me as if,
We jist might be ahead,
T' knock this fence out in a jiff,
Put a new 'un up instead.

A new un'd sure look nice,
Out here in this meadow,
Yeah it might cost a scary price,
But it'd cast a perty shadow.

With these final words,
The boy looked at his pa,
Said mendin' fence is for the birds,
A new 'un leaves folks in awe.

Pa looked at his son,
Then shook his head a bit,
Said listen good now youn'un,
Let's take and have a sit.

That fence is old and tattered,
Weathered, beat and bruised,
Looks a little battered,
All these years that it's been used.

But let me tell y' somethin',
'Bout fences and cowboys alike,
The outside look ain't nothin',
Ain't no two of 'em alike.

There's somethin' 'bout old fences,
They've somehow earned their keep,
They'll be around from this day hence,
Ain't no need t' call 'em cheap.

They're alot like worn out cowboys,
The scars all tell a tale,
A young man once a ploughboy,
'Till his dreams one day took sail.

A fence can tell a story,
Of days, long since gone by,
A wanderin' cow chasin' her tail,
A cowboy wonderin' why.

That leanin' fence post,
Sure has some grit,
Outstandin' most,
That seemed much more fit.

That post may be weathered,
And look pretty tough,
Worn where a horse teathered,
It's jagged and rough.

Cowboys is like fences,
Each one has its tales,
Scarred from old fences,
And weathered from the gales.

The point I'm tryin' t' make son,
That fence is worth the while,
It's earned the chance, t' make a stake,
On this ranch for a while.

It may be old and tattered,
Weathered, beat and bruised,
Looks a little battered,
It sure had been abused.

It ain't about the money,
But that old fence 'il stay,
It sounds a little funny,
But you'll understand someday.

Let's get back t' work son,
There's fence still left t' mend,
Hustle up, lets get it done,
Ranch house is jist around the bend.

Twenty-five years since,
That young boy's all but grown,
Out a mendin' fences,
On a place he calls his own.

A young lad looks up at him,
A question in his eyes,
Pa says, What y ' thinkin' young'un?
The lad replied t' his surprise.

Why do we mend fence,
The young'un asked his pa,
It jist don't make no sense,
Beat all I ever saw.

Pa jist looked around,
Then got a silly grin,
Funny how things come around,
This here's a place I've been.

© 2006, Slim Farnsworth
This poem may not be reprinted or reposted without the author's written permission.

Slim told us: This poem was written with my granddad in mind, sort of about one of those lessons they teach y' without every really saying anything.

 

The Big City Cattle Buyer

We was movin' cattle,
Down a dry and dusty road,
When I beheld a stranger,
That not one cowhand knowed.

He said, "I'm from the city,
And own some land not far from here,
I notice that you country folks,
Have cattle always near.

I'd like t' buy a calf from you,
I really need a cow,
Just name your price I'll pay with cash,
Can I pick 'im out right now?"

He wandered out among the herd,
And picked hisself one out,
A nifty little red 'un,
With a slightly wetted snout.

"I like this one, I surely do,"
That's what the fella said,
"He's short and stout, and awful cute,
I think I'll name him Ted."

"Well here's your money cowboy,
But before I up and go,
There's a couple things 'bout raisin' cows,
I think I ought t' know."

I said, "friend, I'll gladly tell y',
All the facts y' wish t' know,
But before I do, I'd be obliged,
If you'd let my cowdog go."

© 2006, Slim Farnsworth
This poem may not be reprinted or reposted without the author's written permission.

 

Slim told us:  I wrote this poem to highlight the ignorance that city folk sometimes
manifest.  It ain't their fault they jist don't know any better.  Besides, if they knew better, they wouldn't do things like this and cowboys like me wouldn't get an occasional good laugh.  No offense meant to you urbanite types, I'm sure I'd be ignorant or your stretch of range. 

 

 

 

 

 

About Slim Farnsworth:

In 2006, Slim told us:

I was born and raised in the North Fork valley of Western Colorado.  I spent a lot of time with my granddad when I was young, cowboying. I am 24 years old, and live in Western Colorado. I grew up on a cattle ranch that my Granddad has since sold, and now I am in business with my Dad doing earthmoving construction.