The Old Cowboy

The Old Cowboy
For every line on that cowboy's face
     There's a story to be told
And it's sad to think
     That you thought 
     He was just gettin' old.

Every crease was put there
     By a lesson he had to learn
And you were wrong to assume 
     That it was from 
     Worry or concern.

Those are not lines of old age
     But just squinting from the light
They're laugh lines 
     And smile lines
     A face praying in the night.  

You surely may have seen him
     Lying face down in the dirt
Why, believe me, 
     He's just resting
     He ain't really hurt.

Every line on that cowboy's face
     If you could crawl inside
Would lead you to a story
     Those are where
     A million tales do hide.

But, when you look into his eyes
     Those lines just fall bare

Look at him and honor 
     The wisdom
     He has to share.

I know a lot of people will not "love" this poem, but to me, it's worth loving. It represents the hard working people I spend a lot of my time with. These are the men who made this country what it is through hard work and common sense. This poem reminds me of some of the best people I know. People need to stop thinking true cowboys are something less than honorable and start seeing them for what they are: American Icons.