Poem Based on an Image: Cowboy Poetry

A photo of cowboy accoutrements (clothing and such) can only lend itself to one type of poetry--cowboy poetry. The difficulty in composing the following piece of cowboy poetry came in matching it to the image above. The cowpunchers that I know don't typically take off their hats and boots, and lean them against a tree in the middle of the day ... unless of course, it's sweltering outside, they're taking a break, and giving a younger cowboy a piece of friendly advice.

The Ol' Cowboy's Advice

He took his hat and boots off as he sat against the tree;
Wiped the sweat from off his brow and shyly grinned at me.

"I'll tell ya all there is," he said, "to havin' joy and laughter;
Love yer wife, the work ya do, and do the things ya have ter.

There's lots of folks who think that life's fer playin' and fer boozin'
But they're the ones that in the end, jest always end up losin'.

So find yerself a lovin' wife, for here and ever after;
Make sure ya love the work ya do, and do the things ya have ter."

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(Author's note: After writing this piece of cowboy poetry, it dawned on me that the photo and verse would make a great greeting card for guys. It's not easy to find clean, masculine cards for down-to-earth, hard-working guys, and so it gave me a project to work on. Since then, the verse and photo have been enjoyed by cowboys and non-cowboys alike, because after all ... a man doesn't have to be a cowboy to love his wife, love the work he does, and to do the things he has to.)

Other articles by this contributor:
Cowboy Poetry: "The Day I Broke El Diablo"
Christmas Story About an Old Cowboy Who Believes in Santa Claus
A Haiku Poem: "The County Fair"
And more....