THE FAST RIDE
I like ridin’ bareback
bein’ next to horse hide,
‘till late one August
when I took a fast ride.
I had no saddle
and I had no tack.
It was just sitting
on old BJ’s back.
She likes to run fast
Especially toward home.
and home we were coming
but I wasn’t alone.
There were six fine dudes
who wanted to ride fast.
So I kicked her in gear
and we sure weren’t last.
We ran through the woods
and up and down hills.
The wind in our hair
was giving us thrills.
Then what did appear
but a giant tree stump
that was lying right there
with its roots in a clump.
It looked like a bear
or a bushel of snakes.
But she didn’t need much
to put on her brakes.
A very quick stop
with a jump to one side,
was more than sufficient
to launch me from her hide.
I sailed through the
air
with head leading tush.
and landed head first
in a juniper bush.
The lights went out
but when I could see
six sets of eyes
stared down at me.
With no air in my lungs
and a gash in my head
I was unable to speak.
They though I was dead.
A few broken ribs
were not so bad
and some cartilage was torn
but it was less than I had.
The shoulder blade damage
would probably heal
and so would my spine
and I could still feel.
And even my memory
would soon return.
The year and my age
I could always relearn.
That my head needed stitches
was not a big care
but I pleaded with Doc,
"Please don’t shave off my hair."
6/22/97