DEVIL WIRE

‘BOUT A HUNDRED YEARS AGO,

THE PRAIRE GRASSES WERE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN—

AND THIS HERE BARBED WIRE,

WAS STRUNG FROM TOWN TO TOWN—

FROM POST HOLE TO POST HOLE

THE STAPLES WERE DRIVEN DEEP,

STILL IN THE HILLS, WAS THE REDMAN,

AND HOW IT DID SET HIM TO WEEP—

THE WIRE ‘O HOW IT DONE SHRUNK

A NATION OPEN AND FREE,

MANY TIMES KNOWN TO SET OFF COWPOKES,

TO GO ON A DRUNKIN’ SPREE….

SHOOTIN’ THERE PISTOLS HIGH IN THE AIR,

THEM BULLETS WHIZZIN’ ‘ROUND,

KNOWIN’ SOMEDAY TO BE BURIED UNDER A STRETCH OF WIRE,

‘BOUT SIX FEET IN THE GROUND!

SOMEDAY PERHAPS, THE MILLIONS OF MILES

OF BARBED WIRE WILL GO AWAY,

BUT, I FEAR WITH THIS EVER CROWDED WORLD,

I RECKON IT’S HERE TO STAY.

WALT GOVE ©

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