Round Up, by David Edward Kucera
On His Day Off
by Lenora Rain-Lee Good
He rides for pleasure, astride his white horse,
allows his pale green horse to rest. He rides
on the summer dry-grass prairie, rounds up free-
range mustangs, herds them to the collection
corral where they will be adopted.
He spells them–bonded pairs will not
be separated, and all will go to good
homes–satisfied, he smiles, tips his sweat-
stained hat to the cowhands and corralled horses.
He rides back to his ranch, wears a red shirt, old
Levi’s, comfortable boots, watches the darkness
roll down the mountains, cover the prairie, smiles.
Tomorrow, he will wear black, ride the pale green horse
on a different range, use his scythe and cull a different herd.
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