The cattle had never been run before
the drovers had all agreed
and all the hands across the land
came out in search of thee
Now once they'd seen the steers afar
across the reds of sand
but no one had come near to them
in that forsaken land
By dark of night they topped the hill
in wait for them to come
for it was said the leading steer
had set them on the run
For though the steers from inland hence
would span the valleys there
for waters from the rivers flowed
and inland twas dry and bare
Yet men have said of desert treks
where steers were seen to roam
in heat that dried and scorched their skins
like they were quite at home
And said they too where all was dry
the steers held long and fast
that there they'd seen the roaming herds
grow fat on desert dust
And still the drovers held in wait
because the word had come
that men had seen the roaming herds
before the setting sun
Four days and nights had come and gone
and dawn was nearing knew
when old man Jim let out a yell
the steers had come in view
And distantly there came the sound
of hooves of many steers
A stampede more than hundreds strong
had finally appeared
Now drive them hard and drive them fast
the order hit the air
Let not one steer escape that herd
and let not one man spare
A run of runs was thus begun
across a land so damned
valiant men on valiant steeds
woke up a sleeping land
A roar engulfed the glens and hills
a thunder shook the ground
A trail that blazed a mile long
was racing eastward bound
Six days they drove in cold and wet
At last the end was near
For soon they'd reach the watered land
where they could hold the steers
And resting from the cattle drive
they sighed with great relief
for many men had tried before
and all had come to grief
And yet the herd was still not held
although they thought twas done
for one and only one was free
and he was on the run
A great big steer with endless pride
and gallant, free and bold
was watching o'er the mighty herd
that man had sought to hold
By night as ore by night they stole
he edged his way the same
and stealthy neared their sleeping camps
like a hunter stalking game
The sparks from off the campfire rose
alighting to his steps
crackling in the quiet night
where e'er the black one crept
His eyes in watch, aware and clear
reviewed the paths around
and fronted to his mighty herd
and still there was no sound
by night as ore by night he stole
the herd stole off the same
and stealthy did they move away
back to the desert plain
No man had since been near to them
not one could match the wit
of he who led the desert herd
as he the black one did
The herds from out the desert lands
were set upon the run
on golden sands so fiercely hot
beneath a blazing sun
And men had said of desert treks
where steers were seen to roam
in heat that dried and scorched their skins
like they were quite at home
In a list
Comments
1 - 19 of 19
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I agree with Rory This has all the passion and movement of Banjo.I love it there is little better than a story well told
Excellent
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This is a fine piece of cowboy poetry, which I do enjoy.
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a very entertaining read, reminds me Banjo Patterson's Man From Snowy River...I love story poetry, and this tells quite the story. Very well done.
Rory
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This is really good. I like how you told the story in poem form. Keep up the great work and never stop writing
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what I love the most about this poem is the rhythm of it...each verse has a flow...I like the fact that the second and fourth line of each verse rhyme. As I read it, I was able to visualize the events that took place. I could see the earth tones of the desert, the "golden sands", the intensity of the "blazing sun"
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Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I enjoyed writing this and appreciate the feedback.
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the rhyming thing rocks
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Thank you so much.
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I love the rhyming action. I can envision whats taking place as I read. Job WELL done!
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Wow! Your narrative had me mesmerized! I don't often come across a western poem, but this read like a great epic of old. I was transfixed. My favorite stanza was
"And said they too where all was dry
the steers held long and fast
that there they'd seen the roaming herds
grow fat on desert dust"
Mmmm...this really has an authentic feel to it. I also like the repetition of the last stanza. Well done!
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Well written!! I love the imagery!! This is very excellent!! You truly did a fantastic job with this!! Its amazing!!
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That was very good. I like the rhyme and story.
Very well done..
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"please leave constructive criticism"...
"Condor", at first view the length of this poem might give me pause to tackle it: but it's vivid discription of wild terrain, working men and the wild power of nature unwilling to be tamed all flowed together and was easy and enjoyable reading! Congratulations on your work.
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Excellent.
I like poems that tell a good story. Yours would have been effective with or without rhyme. Than you for sharing
,
Vito
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Excellent !
Your poem had me fixed right from the start. What wonderful imagery you have used
I'd like to bookmark it if you don't mind 
I look forward to reading many more of your poems
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Thank you. No. I don't mind at all. I have also placed you on my favourites list, so i hope to be reading more poems of yours just like the last. That was so good.
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A great write Condor, a great write. Reminds me of the Overlanders many years ago. Your descriptions are apt and took me on the ride with you. A really good Aussie narrative poem.
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So descriptive, you take us there!
Unique story not to be seen around AP since I began..Thanks for the write..The rhyming and flow are excellent..You are untiring in scribing this story!
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Thank you. I am glad you liked it. I wrote this many years ago in the eighties. It's not normally something i would write.
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