It's the last day of December,
year is eighteen ninety nine,
nearin' midnight on the Kaibab Plateau.
T'was a night to long remember
'midst those ponderosa pine,
Listen up and hear this tale of long ago!
It started as a whisper,
down the ridge just to the West.
A subtle sound, near toneless to the ear.
The pitch climbs higher, crisper,
like a Mountain Cat possessed,
to noise I figure sure the rocks can hear.
Well-I'm sittin' in my cabin,
had just finished up a chore,
figures how I'd best be seein' what's about.
Just about the time I'm grabbin'
fer the handle of the door,
froze with wonder as I heard the lusty shout:
"I'm a rippin', roarin', twister!
I'm a thundergustin' gale!
Eats a cyclone fer m' breakfast every day!
I'm a canyon digger, mister!
I can spit out rain and hail!
All the hills lay flat that dare get in my way!"
Hangin' just above the clearin'
is a dark hellacious cloud,
with an ugly vortex spinnin' 'round and 'round.
From its gut the voice comes searin',
boomin' clear and cannon loud,
usin' tones that stir vibrations in the ground.
"Zadoc Judd!! I'm hearin' stories--
yer the man that does it all--
You'z the roughest, toughest, Waddie on the strip!!
Well, I'll tells ya what, b'gories;
If you'd dare to take my call,
step astride Ol' Twister, take a little trip!
If ya rides him to the whistle
then you wins the "Futures Purse",
an' I shows ya what awaits next hundred years.
If ya ends up eatin' thistle
well-ya gets the "Cosmic Curse" -
herdin' stars instead'a punchin' bally steers!
When the dust had settled, mostly,
and some noise had died away,
sets an ancient soul astride a monster Jack.
His appearance small and ghostly
gets me thinkin'; "Judgment Day??"
then I sees an Indian saddle is his tack.
Now, I've never scared too easy,
and not often prone ta brag,
says; "Old man I'll take yer challenge, that's a bet!"
Then at risk of soundin' 'breezy',
adds; "I'll straddle that old nag,
heck, I'll buck'em out and never break a sweat!"
"Well now cowboy, fetch yer riggin',
Climb aboard and earn yer pay!
You'd do well ta set yer jaw 'fore getting' on!
That first jump'll be a biggin',
out towards the Milky Way,
Fer the 'cocky' that's the one that gets'em gone!"
There's a natty lookin' smile
floats across the weathered face
as he hold a blindfold o'er the critters' eyes.
Swingin' on in usual style,
snugs my knees fer 'just-in-case',
"Let-'er-buck!! and YO!! we're headin' fer the skys!!
Boys, with no exaggeration,
I can tell you peelers that:
T'was the highest jump a man will ever see.
Down below's the Indian nation
spinnin' under where we's at-
I'm a spurrin', yellin', WAHOOOO-look at me!!!
Though that first one kept me busy,
out the corner of my eye,
there's Ol' Taurus breathin' fire an' kickin' dirt.
For a second, wonders; "is he
my new neighbor in the sky?"
Then some 'twistin' brings me back to full alert.
Touchin' down just South of Zions,
humps his back an' brays an' snorts!
He ain't used ta baggage stickin' to his back!
We go bustin' past some Lions,
Leos' den's around these parts?
Got the rhythm now, I's glued to this ol' Jack!
Now I feels him start ta coilin' up
the springs in all four legs.
and I'm thinkin' this could be his biggest blast.
As rocks and dirt come boilin' up
from hoof-tipped powder kegs,
Still aboard, but kinda hope this jump's the last!
Just a speck far down below me
Sinbad country and the Reef.
floatin' high enough to spot the Southern Cross.
That last caper didn't throw me,
with a feelin' of relief,
finally got this critter thinkin' I'm the boss!
With our rodeo behind us, and
so long as we're this high,
might as well take time to do a little tour.
See some wonders that the Masters' Hand
has put here in the sky-
seems I've always had a fancy to explore.
There's ol' "Hercules" of great acclaim,
and "Lepus", giant hare.
Wave hello to "Bootes", the herdsman, as we pass.
Now there's "Pegasus", winged horse of fame,
a givin' us the stare-
(Hey! first time he's seen a cowboy on an Ass)
These allmighty cosmic ranches,
boundary's fenced by gleamin' stars,
sets my mind to think how small our earthly range.
When some comet avalanches
block our trail, we swing past Mars
there I spots a sight that strikes me sort'a strange.
Up ahead, in distant clusters
cowboys whoopin', ridin' hard.
keepin' maverick stars from mixin' with their bunch.
Ropes a swingin', poppin' dusters,
some on foot a'standin' guard-
"Them's the boys Ol' Twister's throwed", would be my hunch.
Well come on ya long eared critter!
time we's headin' back fer camp.
Set us down, I'll let yer partner pay his bet.
Sure won't brand you as no quitter
fact; at buckin' you's a champ!
with a gait as easy ridin' as they get.
As we glides in fer a landin'
there's some wonder on the face
of the feller that Ol'Twister knows as "Boss".
You could tell the way he's standin'
this had triggered some disgrace,
as he grumbles' "It's our first time fer a loss!"
From within a traveled buckskin poke
he lifts a glowin' stone,
gestures I should come and gaze into its light.
Warns me: "Nothing seen can 'er be spoke
of wonders you'll be shown-
as they'll never be recalled beyond this night".
The brilliant light begins to fade,
then dims to lanterns glow.
I rub my eyes and set up in the chair.
Some kind'a dream! A real charade!
A cosmic rodeo!
Me tourin' 'round the Heavens?? I declare!!
I step out in the winters night
and look up at the stars.
Fer quite a spell, just watch'em sweepin' 'round.
To wonder if some fellers might
be grazin' beef on Mars?
Then fetched from cosmic musings by a sound!
It rings a faint familiar tone,
like something heard before,
I lay it to the wind caressin' pine.
Or, Lobo, tired of life alone,
sings out from canyon floor?
Then mystic words are blended with the whine!!
"I'm a rippin', roarin', twister!
I'm a thundergustin' gale!
Eats a cyclone fer ma breakfast every day!
I'm a canyon digger, mister!
I can spit out rain and hail!
All the hills lay flat that dare get in my way!!"
Ain't sure if I should laugh, or cuss
at this creative hearin'?
seems my ears is twistin' wind to spoken sound!!
But things become less humorous
as daybreak lights the clearin'-
and the mule tracks come a starin' from the ground!!
So, even now on cloudless nights
I'll look into the sky,
and smile a bit at constellations' gleam.
To wonder; if those starry lights
that's slowly trailin' by-
are drovers movin' herds? or just a dream??
Sam Jackson was born at Fountain Green Utah and grew up on the familiy's ranch. He joined the Navy in 1948. After serving in Korea four years, he came home, married, went to school and ended up in the Aerospace industry, ending his career as a facility manager for Exxon Nuclear in central Idaho. As a retirement hobby, restores old Sheepcamps. Sam began writing poetry in 1993, first to document some of his early life ranching experiences, then moving on through the entire spectrum of western life on such diverse subjects as Geology of the Rockies, Old Barns, Building fences, Steam Engines and many others, has caused him to refer to his work as "Western Verse" rather than the more restrictive "Cowboy Poetry". Over the years, he has performed at many poetry gatherings throughout the Western U.S. and Canada.
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