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.

[John]

You paint a scene of monumental nature in action, loud, vivid and palpable with the stoic cowboy's role reduced to that of an insignificant witness. A great poem.

[lee von cleef]

yours are great too

[Texas Greg]

Aye! Cream is better, but where are the cattle...lol

Good write, IMO.
.
Greg

[Mauricio Montoya]

Like how it comes together it’s all about acceptance, nice work.

[Tai Ryens]

Hm, poems speaking of cowboys are quite rare to find nowadays. Nonetheless, your poem is in all ways enticing. I haven't the slightest interest in cowboys, but you managed to hold my attention throughout; meaning you are quite the powerful writer. Well done, and thanks for posting.

[Freedom's Child]

Great piece I love the vivid imagery and emotion. Nice flow keeps the reader in your words. Great work!

[marlayesterday]

Wow, I really like this. Raw emotion is how I would describe this. Some deal with loss differently than others. Beautiful.

[Marie]

Wonderful description of a thunderstom...rolling thunder sending down destruction...

[Norma M Sutton]

For all the life rain brings when it is a flood there is always a worry of losses. Nicely put.

[SHEEMA HUQ]

quite an amazing dispersal of the extreme trails of nature and the mamouth pressures imposed upon the human condition. excellent. thanks.

[M.E.Lyle]

This is great visualization, whatever that means. I've been to Kansas and lived through one of those stormy nights in a tent. No cows though. I'm a city boy, don't know nuthin' bout no cows.
I didn't cry about it, and the morning coffee was good.
Have a great one.