Red Steagall: New and Selected Poems

Paw-Paw

-74Paw -Paw I called my granddad Paw-Paw and I loved him more than life. I tried to copy everything he did. ’Course I was always underfoot and standing in the gate But if I made him mad, he kept it hid. When I was two he bought me my own saddle and a horse. The seat of his old pickup was my bed. I learned to walk the way he walked and cuss a little bit I hung on every word my Paw-Paw said. Paw-Paw used to brag on me to all the other guys. Said I would be a champion someday. He taught me how to ride a bronc when I was just a kid, I wasn’t good enough to make it pay. So when my grandson came along I recognized the chance To relive memories of my childhood days, My daughter said that Paw-Paw wasn’t very dignified, But I had him call me Paw-Paw anyways. I taught him how to throw a rope and he roped everything That came in his imaginary pen. I bought him his own saddle and a little spotted horse, He and that horse became the best of friends. I guess I overdid it ’cause he got us both in Dutch When he caught grandma’s rooster in his loop. The rooster didn’t make it and his grandma threw a fit He said, “The old bird’s tough, he’ll make good soup.” We’ve dodged a bullet once or twice and we’ve come out OK. Tho’ we haven’t gotten by with everything. Like early last September we was branding April calves, The ones too small to brand in early spring. -75I ’se way across the brandin’ pens not paying him no mind, I caught him in the corner of my eye. He was in the pen a-foot and building him a loop I chuckled to myself, the boy’s got try. Much to my surprise and his, he caught a heifer calf That musta weighed at least four hundred pound She jerked that youngster off his feet ’fore I could blink an eye, She quit the herd and took to higher ground. She drug him through the fresh manure and up against the fence. His shirt was torn to tatters in the chase His pants was hanging off his hips, his boots was full of dirt But bless his heart his hat was still in place. I double hocked the heifer and the groundcrew stretched her out. The boy escaped, but Lord I don’t know how. I swear I nearly lost it when he said, “Build yourself a loop, And let’s go get ourselves another cow.” When we were in the barn last night he asked if he could rope. I laughed it off and said, “I guess you can.” I never dreamed a four year old would have that kind of nerve I’m sure the heifer didn’t understand. I said, “Let’s ride down to the tank and wash your face and hands.” Then what he said just thrilled me though and through. “But you don’t wash your face and hands till you get in at night. I wanna be a cowboy just like you.” The mighty hero had returned victorious from the war The hand he held was flush and full of spades. With cow manure on remnants of what used to be a shirt He expected nothing less than accolades. -76But unless you’ve fought the battle and unless you’ve won the war The taste of victory don’t seem quite so sweet. His mama saw destruction and a bruised and battered boy. To her his hard won victory spelled defeat. He reveled in his glory as he told his mom the tale. He said, “that heifer run right in my noose. I worked her round the pen, till Paw-Paw caught her by the heels We burned her hide before we cut her loose.” She said, “Why did you do that?” as she grabbed him by the arm. I raised that girl and boy can she get mean. Before I let him in too deep I’ll throw the kid a line Right now it’s best that I ain’t heard or seen. We’re talkin’ ’bout a cyclone and a giant hissy fit, If she reacted like I...