Sitting tall in the saddle,
the cowboy smiled.
He was tanned and
in one with his horse.
Daylight was giving way,
a well-deserved rest
was at hand.
The cattle were grazing,
The late afternoon chores
completed and soon
the campfire would became
the center of the evenings activities.
Everything essential, occurred naturally:
a good supper, hot coffee and tall tales.
Stories told in poetic prose
with just a touch of wild-west flavor.
One was as good as the next and
the chatting was refreshing,
a good way to end the day.
Tomorrow would be here
soon enough, sleep was essential.
The camp took on
a quiet atmosphere.
Just the natural sounds of
the night and the animals
could be heard.
One man, an exception,
scratched down on paper
the stories as he remembered them.
Finished, he, too, dozed off.
This scenario continued
night after night
until the cattle were
brought to market.
The men dispersed,
each going their own way
until the next drive.
The writer and collector of stories
went to St. Paul, Minnesota.
He arrived at the Binary Press,
now operating independently,
but begun by the literary department of
St. Adolph’s College.
The story poems were
published with the title
“Tales along the Chisholm Trail”.
It was an instant best seller.
The cowboy wrote under
a pseudonym: Stanislaus Kuperski.
He became a celebrity,
did the book tours,
readings and talk shows.
He was humble and later
was called to the ministry,
loved by his congregation,
filled the church every week.
Other poets traveled
to hear him preach.
Among his favorites were
Stansberry McKricken
Jack Ridl, and Stanley Kunitz.
A certain Presbyterian minister
Never took time to visit him.
The revered Reverend said
he was in acceptance of this,
though it did hurt him a little.
He continued writing sacred poems,
spiritual essays and songs
until he died in his 80’s.
Thousands mourned and
he would not be forgotten.
Steve Haarman
February 28, 2015 ^
Steve Haarman 