You are jest an old waddy that’s been everywhere.
You’ve about held your own and done more than your share.
You wind some big windies you like mighty well,
But there’s now and then things that you never do tell.
You tell of the days when you was a top hand
And you rode that wild outlaw that bucked off the brand.
But the mornin’ that old wrangle mule got you down,
And he laid you out cold when you lit on the ground,
And he drove your head out through the top of your hat;
Well, somehow or other, you never tell that.
You tell of the time when you went to a dance,
And none of the other boys there had a chance.
How you wore your new clothes, and you outshined ’em all.
And you rode away home with the belle of the ball.
But the time that you travelled for over ten mile
Jest to set that and talk to some gal for a while;
And you looked in the winder and happened to see
She was settin’ in there on another boy’s knee,
And you sulked and you pouted for weeks like a brat;
You remember all right, but you never tell that.
You can tell about gamblin’. It shore was a shame
How you pulled a fast trick and broke up a slick game.
Perhaps you remember one evenin’ old pard.
You was watchin’ a feller that marked the third card;
And you fell fer the trick and they busted you flat.
When you talk about gamblin’, you never tell that.
Another big windy you shore like to tell.
How you got drunk in town and would holler and yell.
How you took down the street with your hoss on the run
And the people all ducked when your rolled your six gun.
But the time the town marshall, that quiet old man,
Grabbed the back of your neck and you went to the can;
And he throwed you in jail and went south with your gat,
Well somehow or other, you never tell that.
And all of them women that follered you ’round.
They jest wouldn’t keep off when you once turned ’em down.
Do you ever remember one gal that you met?
You was drinkin’ I know, and a little upset.
And when you got sober, you found out next day,
She had gone out of town with your whole summer’s pay.
And you never discovered jest where she was at.
No, you haven’t forgot, but you never tell that.
Then there was that time when a warnin’ came through,
That the sheriff was out with a warrant fer you.
You went from there jest a foggin’ your tail,
And thanked God fer the snow storm that covered your trail
And you changed hosses twice ‘fore you took off your hat.
And you never went back, and you never tell that.
Never mind my old pardner, in times long ago,
We all did a few things we don’t want folk to know.
Most people we knowed in the days that’s gone by
Acted foolish sometimes, so did you, so did I.
If you know some old feller that made a mistake;
Say nothin’ about it and give him a break.
If you know sumpthin’ bad, keep it under your hat.
Tell the best that you know, but don’t ever tell that.
(Bruce Kiskaddon)
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Based on Topics: Man Poems, Time Poems, People Poems, Snow Poems, Running Poems, Dancing Poems, Chance Poems, Error & Mistake PoemsBased on Keywords: warnin, throwed, hosses, brat, winder, marshall, bucked, pardner, ducked, follered, pouted