Poet Trying On A Western

by Leslie Grollman

Why not the Western,
full of spit ‘n brawl,
as horse-you-rode-in-on,
or the loyal Buckskin by a grave

Why not as Diamondback, all hiss and fit

As Longhorn, all graze and cud

Why not as fiddle, all pluck,
and torrent of foot-stomping

Why not ok, boomer at the O.K. Corral

But not as gunfight
Not the howl-down
muzzling a nation begging for help

Not as whiskey, all numb and
forgetful

I don’t want to forget anything

I want to trot through, saddled,
Sitting tall,
All change-horses-midstream,
Reins in hand,
All giddy-up,
All giddy