Letting Go Near Cheyenne

I suppose you and a few
of your best hands
could saddle up and ride
a thousand miles of fence-line

trying to find the break
in the wire where
they made their escape.
The weeks it would take

to round’em back up
at your age, you might still
find it worth your while,
if you’re lucky
with the weather and snakes.

Or, you could just sit out on the porch
in a rocking-chair, enjoying the view
with a fresh pot brewing,
saying to nobody but yourself

and a woman in a calico dress
“Babe, I believe them cattle are
already out and gone.”
Spend another morning with her

and so on.

–April 11, 2017