THE GIFT

TWO LITTLE GIRLS FROM TEXAS, A LITTLE BIT WILD SOME SAY
I CAN STILL RECALL THAT SUMMER AS THOUGH IT WERE JUST YESTERDAY
SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A COUPLE OF KIDS WHO RAISED A LOT OF HELL
KINDRED SPIRITS, RIDING BUDDIES AND THE BEST OF FRIENDS AS WELL
HOLES IN OUR JEANS, OLD COWBOY BOOTS AND HATS THAT DIDN'T FIT
YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO RUN BARRELS AND I TAUGHT YOU HOW TO SPIT
ME ON THAT PINTO PONY AND YOU ON YOUR BUCKSKIN MARE
WE WERE OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER BUT FAR TOO YOUNG TO CARE
YOU, MY FRIEND WERE A PART OF ME
YOU SHARED MY HOPES, MY DREAMS, MY FEARS
AND WHEN IT CAME TO LETTIN' GO, YOU ALSO SHARED MY TEARS
I ALWAYS THOUGHT TEXAS WAS HEAVEN CAUSE YOU WERE HERE WITH ME
WE THOUGHT WE WERE TOUGH BUT NOT QUITE ENOUGH 
TO HANDLE WHAT WAS YET TO BE
MAMA SAID ACCIDENTS HAPPEN SOMETIMES WITHOUT REASON OR RHYME
I PRAYED TO GOD RIGHT THEN AND THERE TO LET ME STOP ALL TIME
WE WERE ONLY TWELVE YEARS OLD, I WASN'T READY TO LET YOU GO
YOUR BUCKSKIN MARE WAS STANDING THERE WITH HER HEAD HUNG WAY TOO LOW
"PROMISE ME YOU'LL KEEP HER", YOU HAD SAID TO ME THAT DAY
I TRIED NOT TO CRY AS YOU SAID GOODBYE 
I HELD YOUR HAND WHILE YOU SLIPPED AWAY


MANY YEARS HAVE COME AND GONE SINCE I PUT THAT MARE TO SLEEP
BUT I NEVER MAKE A PROMISE THAT I DON'T INTEND TO KEEP
WHEN I LOOK OUT IN THE PASTURE, OUT WHERE THE HORSES PLAY
I THINK OF YOU MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND AND I WONDER WHAT YOU WOULD SAY
I KNOW IF TEXAS WERE HEAVEN, YOU WOULD BE OUT THERE
RIDING AS YOU DID BACK THEN ON THE SON OF THAT BUCKSKIN MARE
TWO LITTLE GIRLS FROM TEXAS BUT I'M THE MAMA NOW
AS I WATCH THEM PLAY ON A SUMMER DAY IT TAKES ME BACK SOMEHOW
WOULD YOU RECALL THAT SUMMER AS I DO SO NOW AND THEN?
WOULD YOU TAKE ME BACK TO CHILDHOOD DAYS TO RIDE THOSE TRAILS AGAIN?
THOUGH THE HANDS THAT HELD THOSE REINS BACK THEN
ARE NOW OLD BEYOND THEIR YEARS
AND THE EYES THAT WATCHED YOU SLIP AWAY 
ARE NOW WEATHERED FROM THE TEARS
MY MIND STILL ECHOES LAUGHTER, MY HEART STILL LONGS TO PLAY
AND MY LOVE FOR YOU, MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND GROWS STRONGER EVERY DAY
KNOW THAT I STILL REMEMBER YOU AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAD DONE
KNOW THAT IN MY MEMORY YOU WILL REMAIN FOREVER YOUNG.
COPYRIGHT 1996


HUMPY

NORTH OF THE BORDER THERE LIVED A HORSE
NOW I SWEAR THIS STORY IS TRUE
ITS BEEN A HUNDRED YEARS OR SO SINCE SHE DIED AT AGE 32
(OR WAS IT 33?) ANY WAY SHE WAS BORN TO A RANCHER
WHO HAD A YOUNG SON BACK IN 1879
SHE SHOWED UP AT THE RANCH AS A FOAL ONE SPRING
BOTH MAMA AND BABY WERE FINE
FOR IN THOSE DAYS THEY DIDN'T WAIT CAMPED OUT IN THE BARN ALL NIGHT
WITH FANCY GADGETS AND A TELEPHONE 
TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS ALL RIGHT
THEY TURNED THEIR HORSES OUT EVERY FALL AND LET NATURE TAKE ITS COURSE
THE WINTERS WERE TOUGH, THEY HAD BARELY ENOUGH 
TO FEED THEMSELVES MUCH LESS EVERY HORSE
COME SPRING, THEY'D GO OUT AND ROUND 'EM ALL UP
AND BRING 'EM BACK TO THE PEN
THEY'D BRAND 'EM AND BATHE 'EM AND FATTEN 'EM UP
(BOY THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THEN!)
THEY WERE SOLD AT AUCTION OR BROKE TO RIDE BUT THIS PARTICULAR ONE
A SORREL FILLY WITH A NICE WHITE BLAZE 
WAS PROMISED TO THE RANCHERS SON

SO HE TOOK THE FILLY AS HIS OWN, THIS ONE, THEY WOULDN'T SELL
WHILE PLAYING ONE DAY, SHE GOT AWAY AND FELL INTO A WELL
THE RANCHER, HE WANTED TO PUT HER DOWN, HER BACK WAS BROKE, YOU SEE
BUT THE BOY HE BEGGED AND PLEADED, "DADDY, YOU GAVE THAT HORSE TO ME!"
NOW REMEMBER SHE LIVED A GOOD MANY YEARS EVEN AFTER ALL THAT
THEY NAMED HER HUMPY FOR SHE LOOKED LIKE A CAMEL 
WITH AS MANY LIVES AS A CAT
ONE YEAR, THE RANCHER, WHILE WORKING HIS HERD 
FOUND HER DOWN AND UNABLE TO RISE
SO HE SHOT HER IN THE HEAD AND LEFT HER FOR DEAD
BUT MUCH TO HIS SURPRISE
THE FOLLOWING SPRING, SHE SHOWED UP AT THE RANCH STILL UNABLE TO RIDE
BUT SHE WAS ALIVE AND KICKIN' WITH A BEAUTIFUL FOAL AT HER SIDE
A FEW YEARS LATER SHE WENT DOWN AGAIN
THIS TIME HE WOULD MAKE SURE SHE WAS DEAD
SO HE WENT TO THE BARN AND GOT AN AXE...
SEVERAL BLOWS TO THE HEAD
HE EXPLAINED TO HIS SON WHAT HAD HAPPENED
HE TOLD HIM "ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH!"
THE BOY JUST SMILED, HE KNEW SHE WASN'T DEAD
THAT MARE WAS WAY TOO TOUGH!

HE WAITED ALL WINTER AND WHEN SPRING FINALLY CAME
HE TOLD HIS DADDY HE WANTED TO GO
AND SURE ENOUGH THE BOY WAS RIGHT!
THERE WAS HUMPY WITH A BABY IN TOW
SHE DIDN'T GO DOWN IN HISTORY
WITH WIMPY, LEO AND KING
THERE WAS NEVER A STATUE BUILT IN HER HONOR
BUT THAT DOESNT PROVE A THING
YOU WON'T FIND HER NAME IN THE HALL OF FAME
WITH THE LEGENDS OF THE BREED
BUT I WOULD SELL MY SOUL JUST TO OWN A FOAL
OF THE GREATEST LEGEND INDEED
AFTER 33 YEARS AND 31 FOALS
AND A HEADACHE THAT WOULD MAKE ANY ONE NAUSEOUS
AFTER A BROKEN BACK, A BULLET AND AN AXE
HUMPY DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES!
COPYRIGHT 1999

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