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As heard on the Good Stuff with Jim Thompson
I used to stop and see the old man
Once or twice every week
I would help him with his chores
Feed his horse or fix a leak
He would invite me in for coffee
A coal black witch’s brew
I’d do my best to choke it down
And I’d always say thank you
His saddle was always oiled
And I really thought it odd
That the horse he kept outside
Was always freshly shod
And he’d say
“I think I’ll go for a ride
Today or maybe tomorrow
Would you like to come along
Do you need a horse to borrow”
But I knew he couldn’t ride
The old man could barely walk
But he’d mention it again
The next time that we talked
He told stories ‘bout the old days
And the men he used to know
All the good times that he had
With an old pard he called Joe
Sometimes he’d get confused
Like forgotten words to a song
And he’d mistake me for his old pard
But I always played along
And he’d say
“I think I’ll go for a ride
Today or maybe tomorrow
Would you like to come along
Do you need a horse to borrow”
He used to be a rodeo cowboy
He had a shoe box full of buckles
He displayed his age like the rings of tree
With his scarred and knobby knuckles
He had a tattoo on his arm
Said he got it in the Corps
And his eyes grew dark as night
When he talked about that war
And he’d say
“I think I’ll go for a ride
Today or maybe tomorrow
Would you like to come along
Do you need a horse to borrow”
The years went by as they seem to do
And I up and moved away
Then I got a call one night
Said the old man died today
And as I thought about the old man
A tear rolled down my face
But I caught it with a smile
When I realized God’s grace
The old man had been restored
I could almost sense his joy
As he gazed upon heaven’s herd
Like a child trying to pick a toy
And Jesus would say
“Would you like to go for ride
Today or maybe tomorrow
I’m sure Joe will come along
Do you need a horse to borrow”
Copyright © 2011 Cade Schalla
By
Cade Schalla
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The Good Stuff
