“River Red, Highway Blue”

Too many cars in Tennessee,

Back to the Red River, that’s for me!

Leave the crowd of look and see,

Find a real lonesome dove, bank, and tree.

 

West of the Mississip is better now,

Straggle grass and straggle cow,

No big ways to read and know,

Just dried up rocks to plow and sow.

 

Flee from me ole shuffling death,

I’ll meet my maker cards unwet,

Laid on a table in prairie suite,

Reckoned for trials of Maker meet.

 

The desert ne’er discriminates,

All souls are equally reaped then raped.

Dullness never wins the day-

Here o’er-working brings dismay.

 

Salute! Dear work friend Timbo

Safe passage o’er Palo Duro.

I won’t see you again, but I’ll ne’er forget-

A cowboy’s heart never dies-you bet!