Night Watch

By Gloria McAfee Carver, 2015

 There's somthin' bout the prairie sky, the sun gone down, the day gone by,
more stars than a man can count...I do enjoy
The winsome howl of a wild coyote, a campfire with it's single smoke,
and an old black pot of boiled up chick'ry,
and an old black pot of boiled up chick'ry.

Cattle bunched, bedded down real quiet; a perfect scene in a Cowboy's life,
and the night birds callin' out their purty tunes.
I pulls my harp from my saddle bags, play sweet mem'ries', 'n' old cowboy jags,
makin' music and recollectin' good old friends,
makin' music and recollectin' good old friends.

Some gone on to Higher Range, I'll not see on this trail again,
I hope they'll put a good word in for me.
Some went quick from a bad bronc ride, or wrecked up on a cattle drive,
few just took a wife and quit the trail,
few just took a wife and quit the trail.

None got old, but each one lived the cowboy code,
by the way he walked, talked, and the way he rode.
One and all of blood and dust, in each heart a sacred trust,
to harm no man 'cept in defense of honor,
to harm no man 'cept in defense of honor.

Work was play and play was work, knowin' sure, one fine day,
we'd meet Th' Trail Boss, on Higher Range.
See Him grin and hear Him say, "Boy ya done good down yonder way,
now come on in and take yerself a rest,
now come on in and take yerself a rest.

I trailed you all, all the way, I heard ya sing and I heard ya pray
so roll yer loop, hang yer hat and stay.

You trailed My Light, th' Truth, th' Word and helped bring strays back to My herd.
Now face to face we see each other, cowboy friends, father, mother,
and yes, I remembered your good old horse,
and yes, I remembered your good old horse.
You're home now on My Glory Ranch, have some chow and a jolly dance
​And live eternally...here...with Me.

Gloria Jean McAfee-Carver (1945 - 2017)
Gloria was a lovely lady, she taught special education and  journalism for many years in Texas and Oklahoma. She was a photo journalist for the Hugo Newspaper and usually could be seen carrying her camera around. She loved people, Oklahoma, the Cowboy Way, Spanish Mustangs and the Lord. In 2015 she started collecting stories from people about Blackjack Mountain and the Colonial Spanish Mustangs to post online. Sadly she was unable to finish collecting them all, but she did love the horses, the people and the stories. I plan to begin posting them, starting with the original poem "Night Watch" that she wrote and sent to me with the other stories. It is comforting to have no doubt that she enjoying His Glory Ranch.