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Christmas At The Bunkhouse
A winter snow had covered both
the ranch house and corral,
the bunkhouse crew
had less to do
the weather just too foul.
Ol' Bucky sat there darnin' socks
while DK dusted boots,
the silent hush
made all of us
a bunch of glum galoots.
Outside, the ever-fallin' snow
and three long months til spring,
then Slim just dropped
his pocket watch,
he'd never fixed the thing.
Ol' Red was playin' checkers slow,
an hour 'tween each round,
while Omar sat
annoyed at that
but held his temper down.
Rooster had his catalog,
he'd read it page by page,
he'd kept it near
for two whole years
and it sure looked its age.
And as for me, well you might say
I felt a tad bit blue,
we'd lost two friends
by that year's end,
Ol' Bob just after Lou.
So here it was December late
we'd fixed a little tree,
but it was just
a thought-up touch
and drab 'tween you and me.
The prospects of that winter day
were pretty much the same,
our days indoors
just like before
were long and dull and plain.
When all at once we heard a knock
upon the bunkhouse door,
and there we stood
like blocks of wood,
"Who is it" Slim implored.
"It's me you bunch of dunderheads"
a salty voice replied,
"It's too damn cold
and I'm too old
for standin' here outside."
Well Bucky fin'ly got the point
and let the feller in,
he had a pack
upon his back
and looked a peddler then.
"Why it's ol' Smitty from the store"
said DK with a drawl,
"and from the size
of his bugeyes
he's totin' quite a haul.
I've brung you boys a lot of things
all purchased way last year,
and I wuz told
that I should hold
til now and bring 'em here.
Now this was somethin' new to us,
a lot of jaws just dropped,
and then we went
for presents sent
to see what we had got.
Well Bucky got four pair of socks
and DK, wax and brush,
then Slim flat got
a pocket watch
just like the one he'd bust.
Ol' Red received a checkers' set
Omar some leather tools,
ol' Rooster too
got somethin' new
a book on shootin' pool.
And as for me, a special gift
my fav'rite brand o'chew,
and this here card
"To all our pards"
Merry Christmas...
Bob and Lou.
© 2001, Rod Nichols
We're honored to include
First Lariat Laureate
Rod Nichols' poem
with happy memories of two friends of the BAR-D,
two fine Cowboy Poets,
and two men who made the world a better place:
You can read more of Rod
Nichols'
poetry here at the BAR-D
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