A Cowboy can't cry

Loss

The cattle are hidden in
a thicket, along a flint hill’s gully,
and the rain rolls across the Kansas night,
thunder pumping, rolling
deep, throaty, hollow bellows.

Gods breathe and clouds slap.
Rocks and roots charge through
the narrows ripping at the
thickets.

Thunder’s rolling rhythm broken by
the calves panicked screams,
flashing, the flood quenches the
Kansas night.


Undercut or buried, the cattle are gone.
The distance carries their breath away.
The moon’s midnight watch echoes the
bawling calves.

And a cowboy can’t cry.
cold are the tears in morning coffee.

L.V.C.

Author's Note

Save it for the early hours after a rain

Reviews

[David Scott]

I can see the tears evaporating, uncried from the skyblue eyes. I can hear the cry that will never escape his throat in the questioning panic of the cattle.
I can feel the electric static of emotion held in the thin threads of a plaid flannel shirt. His solitude the only salvation from sparking into an inferno.

[Shelley Holt-Lowrey]

Strong emotion all tightly bundled up in a neat masculine wrapping. Didn't know what to expect when Emma sent me here. Not this. Truly a unique piece of writng... strong and very male. And infused with strong feeling longing for appropriate expression. I heard that - even if my ilk doesn's always speak the same language. -- Thanks for posting.

[Coyote Poetry]

Good thoughts and vision create by your words. Some life can be harder. We learn to move with the punches and hide the effects of a hard life. I like the story and the strong description in the outstanding poem.
Coyote

[MOON]

Lovely descriptive write Love how you painted the picture and last two lines sing. Cowboys don't cry heard so many times fits perfectly here.

[J. F. Charleston]

Visions of the events in this piece rolled through as I read over and over again. It's absolutely very hard to get a cowboy to cry. I haven't cried in months. Awsome write! I want to continue reading your works.

[Sheila Kline]

As a former farm girl, I can certainly relate to your write. The reality of life, nature with its wrath can bring destruction in a heartbeat. Whatever happens in the moments of this kind of situation, one must carry on, put the past behind and keep on trucking. Your imagery is exceptional........"The moon's midnight watch echoes the bawling calves............WOW what a line! I can see them...........I can hear them....I can feel their wanton need!

[lee von cleef]

thanks again

[Kimberly "Melody" Carne..]

Very nice!

[Leslie Philibert]

This is naturally a real cracker, a good theme filled out with loads of good lines,almost a picture or photo rather than a poem, incredibly visual and well thought through.
Very good work.

[Pax]

very nice..

[Ken Simm.]

Evocative and memorable.