How A Cowboy Loves Poem by David Welch

Merrick Brigs worked at Caldwell's ranch,
offering two-week excursions by horse,
up in the Rockies they'd ride and camp,
suburban cowboys loved it, of course.
One summer day he got a new rider,
so he saddled Sundown, and High Fiver,
his best two mustangs in the corral,
in horses you could not ask for more.

A car pulled up and out of it stepped
a raven-haired beauty sublime,
Merrick stopped dead in his tracks,
his words he was trying to find.
She said, "Hi. My name's Clarice,
I think you've got a horse for me? "
Merrick stammered, "Y-yes, I do.
Are you ready for a good time? "

She just gave him a knowing smirk,
and poor Merrick felt his heart race,
the packed up all their camping gear,
and towards the mountains made their way,
he found himself falling back
to watch Clarice ride the track,
the way her hips moved captured him,
a sensuous and rhythmic sway…

That night they camped by a small lake,
high up in a mountain defile,
after a dinner cooked by fireside,
they stayed up to talk a while.
Clarice said, looking up at the stars,
"I've heard the you cowboys are
the sort who do a woman right
when she's looking to get a bit wild."

The look on her face left no doubt
and they stumbled down to the tend,
ripping of their clothes frantically,
dropping them to the ground as they went.
Both the earth and tent did shake,
right up until the morning's break,
she was as wild as she proclaimed,
Merrick called her his godsend.

Needless to say, for the next two weeks,
they rode the mountains and made love,
in every possible place and position,
neither seemed able to get enough.
So distracted by lusty travails
that they only traveled half the trail!
Not that either of the two
minded falling short all that much.

The last day they rode slowly back,
still giving each other naughty looks,
a love affairs go, theirs was intense,
truly one for the record books.
Merrick hesitated to leave her side,
then Clarice looked him in the eye,
said, "I have something I have to say
before we bid farewell for good."

"I know you probably think that we
could be a truly wonderful thing.
Much as I wish this could go on,
I know what the future brings.
I must return to responsibilities,
but thank you for making this fantasy…"
With that she reached into her coat,
and slipped on a wedding ring.

She kissed him softly on the cheek,
then drove away rather quickly.
Merrick's mind reeled from it all,
left him feeling unsteady and sickly,
But he had a week off ahead,
and spent most of it brooding in bed,
when not sleeping he was at the bar,
sitting silent, and acting quite prickly.

But Merrick had to pay the bills,
so he pulled himself out of his slump,
went into the ranch for another tour,
hoping none would see his blue funk.
Boss said, "Got another requesting you,
paid in advanced for weeks one and two.
Show her the sights, nothing to it,
I tell you, this one's a slam dunk! "

Merrick wasn't really feeling it,
but he kept that to himself,
he saddled up Sun Down and High Fiver,
preparing for a two-week spell.
The job was the job, he had to go,
even if his movements were slow,
perhaps it wouldn't be that bad,
he supposed only time would tell.

A car pulled up and out of it stepped
a platinum-haired beauty sublime,
Merrick stopped dead in his tracks,
his words he was trying to find.
She said, "Hi. My name's Dani,
I hear you've got a horse for me? "
Merrick stammed, "Y-yes, I do.
Are you ready for a good time…"