Farewell to a Cowboy

for my mother

I’ve heard people say a few times here and there
An old adage that maybe you know—
A piece of advice for cowpokes who step up
And face enemies toe-to-toe.

“It ain’t the size of the man in the fight,
It’s the size of the fight in the man.”
But no man can knock out the mortal result
Of our Heavenly Father’s plan.

You can battle and brawl till you’re red in the face,
You can holler and scream till you’re hoarse;
It’ll all be in vain, take a breath, let it be—
Don’t swim upstream of eternity’s course.

Sure, it ain’t fair and it’s rough and it’s mean
When a loved one is taken away;
You put your head in your hands as the tears start to fall
When you realize they’ve seen their last day.

There’s no more tomorrow’s or next time’s or later’s
No more hi’s or good bye’s or I loves you’s—
No more hoping for Death to forget his appointment
With the cowboy you can’t bear to lose.

But although your heart’s breakin’ and bleedin’ and sore
There’s a fact of which you can be certain:
Life doesn’t end after one’s final bow
When they vanish behind nature’s curtain.

You can bet that old wrangler of yours is still ridin’
Through heaven’s green pastures above—
Sittin’ high on his horse, smilin’ down on the earth,
Keepin’ watch over all those he loves.

Someday you’ll join him and pull on your boots
To embark on eternity’s trail ride.
Never again will you lack for a pardner,
Nor wander alone without guide.

But until that day comes, cowboy up! He’s alright—
And with time you’ll be alright, too.
Though your heart may be heavy, don’t you dare underrate
The size of the fight in you.

Reese S. Kern

1922-2008