"cowman" poems
for the ladies who liquid lunch
<>
the finest young women of the wild west,
(the best of course just might be in Texas)
don’t always get educated in the things best,
no private schools, so somethings sometimes,
like the upscale training of the taste buds,
must be learned on the job, training the palate,
by growing up, self+taught, thank god, yes!
<>
your salty taste
reminds me of ruffled potato chips, bugles, beef jerky
and
your very own brand of
loving tears
it’s true you know,
impossible to eat
just one, which is
why my tonguing
of your body parts,
is unceasingly seizing
I will always be found
attached unbreakably,
to your moving image,
moving inside of me
so sweet your salt,
it’s your story,
your flavored lives living on
in poems unnamed, to disguise
but the authorship of whom,
in body, in mind, so obvious,
cause in all your poems is a tangy
salty
impossible to eat just one
****
<>
p.s. you tease me mean,
cowman,
bbq and béarnaise,
sassafras and edible petals,
molasses and kosher salt,
ingredient combination
which of course
you just made up,
so I show my appreciation
biting your arm so my permanent
teeth marks,
will remind me,
and you too,
just how salty
biting Texas heifers who
can or cannot be salt cured
when
it’s their turn to write some
real good tasting
poetry
****
back for more already?
****
Jul 15, 2019
Jul 15, 2019 at 2:54 PM UTC
I walked beside the cowman across grass
Sodden by the morning dew. "What do you
Want to do when you leave school?" He asked me.
"Want to be a cowman like you," I said.
He stared at me sideways on."No, my lad,
You want to get yourself a proper job."
He said no more and disappeared inside
His farm cottage tied to the farm estate.
I walked on puzzled by his blunt reply.
I was, as he knew, a London boy, fresh
From the smoke and crowded streets, not used to
The way of the countryside and manners.
In my bedroom, in a glass case, I kept
Bird's eggs, chalk fossils, and a rabbit's skull
Salvaged from the woodland floor on the Downs.
Hanging from the ceiling by bits of string
A model Spitfire moved in the wind.
And taped to the walls were pictures of tanks
Or racing cars with all the parts numbered,
And a chalk model of a Crusader
With sword and shield with red cross of St George.
From my window I could see the whole farm
Where I'd been to fetch the milk before school.
Maybe I'd not work on the farm at all.
Aug 20, 2018
Aug 20, 2018 at 12:48 PM UTC
Jane waited for you
by the narrow road
that led to Linch farm
the water tower visible
against the afternoon sky
of pale blue and white
cold clouds
she was dressed
in a grey coat
and her dark hair
was pinned back
with grips
you noticed
blueness
about her lips
the cold taking toll
wasn’t sure
if you would show
she said
the coldness
and such
I said I would
and I say
what I mean
you replied
once you were close to her
she took her hands
out of the coat pockets
and linked her arm
through yours
where shall we go?
she asked
you know it better
around here than I do
you choose
you said
let’s go up
the dust track
to the hollow tree
on the way up
to the Downs
she said
ok
you said
and so you walked along
and up the dust track
side by side
and she talked
of the wintery trees
and what birds
there were still about
and how she liked
spring best with the coming
of flowers and birds nesting
and you listened
looking at her
as she spoke
watching her lips move
how when she spoke
her white teeth showed
and now and then
her tongue would show
and it reminded you
of that kiss she gave you
up by Diddling church
as you stood looking
at the grave stones
and she gazed at you
and then kissed
and her tongue
touched yours
and it was like heaven
as if someone
had opened up
your heart
and stuck
their tongue in there
and as you thought
about that kiss
she talked of some girl
of a cowman
who’d got pregnant
and how did that happen?
she asked
and you said nothing
but listened on
and then you reached
the hollow tree
and climbed inside
and sat down
looking out
of the hole
in the side
and it felt cosy
in there
like a small home
and she leaned
in against you
and there was silence
and you looked at her
at her eyes
and hair
and how her lips
were parted
and her white teeth
showed and her tongue
waiting to speak
and you wondered
about that kiss again
and whether
it would happen this time
there in the hollow tree
out of sight
of others
and she showed you
tucked between
her small *******
a small locket
which used to be
her mother’s.
Dec 1, 2012
Dec 1, 2012 at 7:47 AM UTC
Down the lane
behind the cottage
where you lived
you walked with Jane
the summer sun
beaming down
the birds in song
cows mooing
from the fields beyond
I can’t believe
you actually got
the cows in
the other day
she said
you a London boy
her eyes focused on you
her lips in smile
it was fun
you said
the cow man was helping me
of course but he said
I did well
she knelt down
by the small running stream
along the lane
you knelt beside her
she put her fingers
in the water
as it flowed through
her open fingers
you studied her fingers
and her hand
her face in profile
her dark hair
and her kneeling there
the smell of apples
and freshness
and you wanted
to kiss her
as she knelt
to put lips
to cheek
she broke the silence
what do you want to do
when you leave school?
she asked
the cowman asked me that
you said
what did you say?
she asked
said I wanted
to be a cowman
she smiled
what did he say?
he said want to get yourself
a proper job sonny
don’t to want to get stuck
on a farm all your life
what did you say?
she said leaning closer
her arm touching yours
I just said I liked the work
you said
she nodded
and you sensed
her nearness
her knee near yours
she stood up
and so did you
and walked on
she talked
of her father’s work
and her mother’s ways
and how she thought
her mother liked you
and you listened
to her words
and wanted
to hold them
and frame them
and to place them
in your heart
and mind
for always
the lane
the stream
the bird song
the long summer days.
Apr 23, 2013
Apr 23, 2013 at 3:19 PM UTC
The summer sun
warmed you and Jane
as you made your way
up the dried up
muddy track
towards the Downs
the sunlight
pouring through
the branches of trees
overhead
you thinking
of your work
on the farm below
the day before
the weighing of the milk
the clearing out
of cowsheds
and the cowman saying
what do you want to do
when you leave school?
to be a cowman
you replied
you want to get yourself
a proper job
you don’t want to do this
for a living
and Jane said
breaking you
from your thoughts
I want to show you
where I used to sit on the Downs
and where I used to collect
bones and skeletons of rabbits
and moles and birds
and you turned
and looked at her
as she walked beside you
her hands swinging
as she walked
her black hair tied
in a small bun
at the back
and her yellowy flowered dress
capturing your eyes
my father works in the woods
further along
you said
he works in the ditches
and hedgerows too
she bent down
and plucked a flower
that’s Squinancywort
she said
showing you the flower
as she twirled it
between fingers
she offered it to you to smell
lovely isn’t it?
you nodded
and carried the scent
with you as you both
moved on up the track
she turned to you and said
your dad does well
at his work for a townie
and you smiled
and so did she
and you captured
her lips parting
and her bright white teeth
and her eyes
moving over you
like a soft caress
and she whispered
turning her head away
do you love me?
and you whispered
yes.
Jul 19, 2012
Jul 19, 2012 at 8:26 AM UTC
Steady hooves. Northbound.
Soft shadows breaking away.
My hat! No. Onward!
Sep 14, 2024
Sep 14, 2024 at 2:47 PM UTC
I should watch her
Jupp said
watch who?
I said
the girl who you
were talking to
this morning
by the school fence
he said
she's a tease
is she?
I said
knowing whom he meant
but not saying
yes she offers it
but then shuts you
out like a clam
he said
staring at me
she just came up to me
I said
and started talking
what's she talk about then?
he said
about birds and butterflies
and how she'd like
to work on a farm
I said
he studied me carefully
are you having me on?
if she did then
she's changed her tune
normally she's on
about *** and doing things
he said
do you know her then?
I said
he looked away
and stared at the girl's
playground to see
if she was looking our way
but she wasn't
because I had already
looked to see
if she was around
I've heard rumours
he said
from others who
she tried things on with
but she's only 13
I said
surely she wouldn't
do such things?
he shrugged his shoulders
just saying what I heard
he said
I won't go near her then
I said smiling
best not to
he said smiling too
and we walked on
by the fence
he talking about
being a cowman
when he left school
I thought of Lizbeth
and that morning
and how she cornered me
by the fence
and asked me
if I thought of her
and she not knowing then
how many of the other
boys did
and that time
she took me to her room
while her mother was out
and tried to get me
to do things which I didn't
which I didn't think right
but then thought of her
most of the next night.
Feb 14, 2016
Feb 14, 2016 at 1:14 AM UTC
I had finished weighing the milk
at the farm then walked home
with one of the cowmen.
What do you want to be
when you leave school?
he said.
I want to be a cowman
I said.
No you want to get
yourself a proper job
he said
this don't pay much
and you'll be stuck here
tied to a cottage
any ways
he added
you're a Londoner
you will find something
better in town.
He left me then
to go into his cottage.
I walked on
to my parents' cottage.
My mother was in the kitchen
preparing vegetables for dinner.
Jane came for you
she said.
Where is she now?
I said.
She said she'd meet you
by the water tower
Mum said.
I walked back
along the lane.
Jane was standing
by the water tower
she waved when she saw me
I waved back.
Your mum said
you were up the farm
and wouldn't be long
so I thought I'd
wait here for you
Jane said.
We walked along
and up the narrow path
up towards the Downs.
How are you getting on
at the farm?
she said.
Ok I helped get the cows in
from the field then weighed the milk.
Do you like the work?
Yes I do
I replied
can't believe a London boy
could get into it so quickly.
We stopped by the large hollow tree
and went inside
and sat on a ledge.
Back to school tomorrow
she said.
Yes don't remind me
I said.
I already have
she said.
We gazed at each other
then kissed then moved apart.
There was an odd pump pump
inside my heart.
Sep 11, 2017
Sep 11, 2017 at 3:18 AM UTC
The hay barn was warm
and silent
and it was out
of the rain
and we could look out
and see the rain
falling heavily
on the land outside
just in time
Jane said
we would
have got drenched
I smelt the farm
from where we were
the cows
the dung
the air
birds outside calling
we came in here
once before
I said
she looked at me
then back
into the interior
of the barn
yes I know
but we weren’t
alone then
the other kids
made it seem
more a playground
than a place
we could be
on our own
I caught a glimpse
of her grey dress
the wellington boots
her dark hair damp
from the sudden downpour
barns have their own
particular smell
I said
she looked at me
with her dark blue eyes
best not
let the cowmen
see us in here
or tongues will talk
she said
what about?
I said
seeing rooks take off
from the tops
of the tall trees
a boy and girl
in a hay barn
gives people
the wrong impression
of matters
I sensed an apple smell
freshly picked
what impression?
you know
that those two people
are doing things
I looked at the grey sky
the Downs were
greying green
kissing?
I said
that and other things
she said shyly
the cowman’s daughter
up the lane
is pregnant
and they came in here
I thought now
that the apple smell
came from her
fresh apple scent
I breathed her in secretly
I heard about that
my mother said something
to my father over dinner
in hushed talk
but I heard them
what’s that
got to do with us?
I said
taking the apples
in my mind
and holding them
in my hands
wanting to bite
into each
nothing as long
as we’re just being us
and not otherwise
my mother likes you
Jane said
she has a good eye
for people
I nodded
uncertain what to say
still it rained
and there was
the strong smell
of warm hay
May 24, 2014
May 24, 2014 at 2:44 AM UTC
Early morning mist
in the field.
Fresh air on her face
as she walked along the track.
Cows mooed from the farm.
A pheasant called from the wood.
She waited to see
if he came up to the farm.
He said he came early
to the farm for the milk.
She waited
sensing the early air
into her lungs.
Rooks called
from the trees tops
overhead.
She had left her parents
asleep in bed.
They wouldn't stir
yet awhile.
She saw him
come up the path
carrying the green jug
for the milk.
She felt excitement inside.
When he saw her he smiled
and walked towards her.
“You're early”
he said
and moved to her
and they hugged and kissed.
“Thought I'd come meet you”
she said
after the kiss and hug.
He looked round
at the early morning view.
“Had breakfast?”
he said.
“No not yet”
she replied.
He took her hand
and they walked
along the path
to the dairy.
They could hear the cows
mooing louder.
The black farm dog
barked at them
as they went into the diary
but skulked away
when the cowman
bellowed at him.
“You're early”
the cowman said
taking the jug
and filling it
with milk
from a huge container.
“Best part of the day”
Benny said.
“Guess it is”
the cowman said.
They walked off
along the path
away from the farm.
He held the jug
with both hands
as it was quite heavy.
She walked beside him
getting as near to him
as she could.
“Want some breakfast
at my parents' place?”
he said.
“Will they mind?”
she said.
He shook his head.
“No of course not”
he said.
They walked through part
of the wood and down
the narrow path to the cottage.
Rooks called loudly
from the wood
as they went in
the garden gate.
They went in the back door
and he placed the milk
on the side
in the kitchen.
His mother was there
raking the stove.
He asked about breakfast for Jane
and his mother smiled
and said yes.
So they sat at the table together
and his mother poured
mugs of tea and hot porridge.
She sensed his knee
touch hers
under the table.
She wanted to kiss him
but felt at that moment
unable.
Apr 14, 2018
Apr 14, 2018 at 1:47 AM UTC
We walked down the lane
from my parent's cottage
it was Saturday morning
I’d got the milk
from the farm
walked across the fields
into the farm milking shed
with my green
and cream jug
avoided the big
black farm dog
that had bitten me once
had breakfast
and was now walking
with Jane
along the narrow lane
I like that small stream
she said
pointing to the thin
strip of water
moving beside us
along the path
the sound my father says
is the water singing to God
she said
rooks called overhead
from the tall trees
other birds sang nearby
a wren flew from out
of a hedge
God is everywhere
my father says
she added
I found a wren's nest
the other month
I said
you didn't disturb it
did you?
she asked
no just looked
and counted the eggs
and studied them
for a few moments
I said
she smiled
I liked it
when she smiled
it was like Christmas morning
like an opened up present
I see you got
the cows in
from the field
yesterday afternoon
after school
she said
not bad
for a London boy
I like it
and Mr Andrews said
I’ve the making
of a cowman
there you are then
your future mapped out
she said
I don't want
a future mapped out
I said
I want it
to be a surprise
some things
have to be mapped out
she said
can't have a daily
big surprise
all the time
life can get routine
whatever we do
routine is the beginning
of dying
I said
routine is our security
she said
allows us
to feel safe
we stopped in the lane
and looked
at the flowers around us
she named a few
and the butterflies
that stopped on flowers
I looked too
as she named them
trying to remember them
looking at her finger
as it pointed out
the pinky nail
the thin finger
the small hand
when Mr Andrews asked me
what I wanted to do
after I left school
I said to be a cowman
and he said
you want to get yourself
a better job
don't get stuck
on a farm
all your life
it's what you want
Jane said
not what he says
that matters
we walked on down
the lane
her hand just inches
from mine
her grey skirt swishing
as she walked
her muddy boots
avoiding the cow pats
it's what you want
she repeated
that matters
yes I guess so
I said
I wanted to kiss her
but not saying so
just hoping
as we walked
looking for a time
maybe a place to stand
and see what happened
or just to kiss her
on the cheek suddenly
and see what she said
or did
but no
I didn't
I just walked on
thinking it wrong
she unaware
of my thoughts
listened to bird song.
Jul 5, 2014
Jul 5, 2014 at 2:21 AM UTC