Lord, Send More Cowboys

Lord, Send More Cowboys

While watching the movie, "Braveheart"
Primal emotions inside me stirred
William Wallace calls us to our manhood
His heart and words longing to be heard

I yearn to be one of the band
To engage the lofty action for the right
I am forever captured by the noble cause
I want to expend my mettle in the good fight

Who could let slip from memory
Wallace's pained, enduring cry for freedom?
He and his motley, dedicated, bold men
In these heartbreaking times we need 'em

We ache for motivating leadership
Someone to call us ‘up’ and inspire
A man we'd unhesitatingly follow into hell
Because he translates words into actions we admire

The world needs men who'll step up and fess up
Men who're classically sound
Men who know the code to live by and
By that code are unwaveringly bound

Where are the audacious and daring men?
Those that in the rough times don't crack?
There may be some tucked here and there
But you'll find a bunch of 'em a’horseback

What if Wallace had been a cowboy
Pushin’ wild horns north to the rails
Months on the Chisholm or Western
Leading courageously on those trails?

I reckon he'd'a ended up the trail boss
In those weary years after that bloody war
He'd'a been one to lead those river crossings
A leader by whom the Cowboys set store

Cattle drive endeavors demanded daring men
Plus a chief, a leader without any passive
Bearing great, decisive courage
To compel men into dangers that were massive

Cowboys are no different today
All men crave someone to guide on
A leader they'll trust and follow
A man to whom they're magnetically drawn

Salt and sand and honor are basic cowboy assets
The fuel by which they quietly, willingly endure
They resolve to stand in the menacing gap
We need more Cowboys for sure

Cowboys don't shirk responsibility
Knowing they can do all things with strength
S'long's it's as God wills
They stay with it and they win at length

We need lots more Cowboys today
As for me they wouldn't hafta’ ride a horse
But they’ would have to embrace the values
And align with 'The Cowboy Way' of course

To paraphrase Daniel Burnham,
Not to plagiarize his gifted pen,
"Make no small plans
For they fail to stir the hearts of men"

Men need their hearts stirred
To get us beyond our static comfort zone
Big achievement only begins
After, outta' the chute we've flown

Whether to lead or follow fearless
Please send us more Cowboys Lord
Men to stay the narrow course
‘Til your heavenly kingdom’s restored

by Rik Goodell

© 2022. All rights reserved

I am blessed that David Graham allows me to post so many of his paintings that have inspired, or at least contributed to fleshing out, my rhyming stories. If you do a search here on my website for "The Fencin' Crew" or "The Cowboy Way", or many others, you'll see a number of fine pieces Mr. Graham has graciously allowed to accompany my poetry.

To see more of his work, go to his website: https://www.davidgrahamart.com/