An Typicalday In A Cowboy's Life Poem by John Yaws

A hot cup of coffee, long before dawn-
Denims and leggings, and spurs to put on..
Saddle old Sorrel, the dun, and the bay,
We're facing another long "can to cain't" day.

We'll gather North Prairie, that's three hundred head-
We're missing some numbers on ones we found dead.
We'll cut and ear-mark them, we'll worm, and we'll spray,
A lot of hard for some mighty poor pay.

We'll cut out the twelve year olds, check all their teeth,
If they're loose, or their cuppy; they won't carry beef.
We'll gather the heifers, and pull off the bulls-
We'll keep all the good ones, and market the culls.

When roundup is over, there's fences to mend-
A water-gap's busted just North of the Bend.
No time to be spent with the kids or the wife-
Just a typical day in a cowboy's life.