| Published in the December 2000 Issue of Anvil Magazine
He wakes early in the Morning
To the breakfast of a Champion
A gallon of Black Coffee
And a dip of Copenhagen
He tinkers with his Truck
And gets it started for the last time -- again
Then in darkness he drives on down the Road
To where his work will begin
Pullin', Cuttin', and Trimmin'
On the Iron He will beat
This Cowboy makes his living
Under Hosses with Long Feet
Pigeon-toed, Knees bent
His Torso facing toward the ground
Sometimes makes this Farrier
Feel like he weighs a thousand pounds
To straighten up his body
Is like prying open a Rusty Hinge
And the Six Pack he drank the night before
Is sweated out by Ten
Stomped, Bruised and plumb wore out
He'll be finished around Two
Then he hauls his abused Body Home
Where he'll surely ride a few
He can slap the Steel on any Old Bronc
He'll hold their feet down low
You may see a Twitch, or even a bent Ear
But the Rasp marks will never show
Sure, he likes his Job just fine
Hard work doesn't bother him
But there's a certain kind of Client
That really gets under his skin
They'll own a fricken' Pickle
That knows all the tricks
He leans and stomps his rock-hard Feet
And he also pulls and kicks
After wrestling this Dink with half a brain
For two hours and a half
He wipes his Sweat, hands them their Bill
Then he loads up all his crap
In the same time it took this patient man
To shoe their faithful mount
He could have finished three or four
And not have been wore out
But out of the kindness of his tired ole Heart
He charges just the same
As if Ole Faithful had been a good hoss
And stood there plumb tame
Then to top it off, and don't that beat all
With such a look of surprise
They examine their bill in pure astonishment
With wide-open eyes
Their attitude changes, and not for the good
Then they gripe, moan, and bitch
And say, "Well, at this high rate,
You must be getting rich."
They hand him his check, load up in their car
And swiftly they depart
Leaving this "rich and wealthy shoer"
In his old Truck that he can't start.
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