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Cowboy Poetry by Joel T. Bailey
Born and raised in Mississippi, Joel currently resides in
Vicksburg with his wife of 44 years, Betty.
Joel started writing poetry on a regular basis after retiring from
35 years of service with Letourneau Technologies.
His work has been featured in an assortment of magazines and websites.
TOWN TAMER
Joel T. Bailey
He rode easy in the saddle
A man tall and lean
His hand was steady
And his wits were keen
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THE GUNFIGHTING KIND
Joel T. Bailey
He rode into town
His gun tied down
Looking left and right
He was called the best
But he needed a rest
Not looking for a fight
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GHOST TOWNS OF THE WEST
Joel T. Bailey
There are old forgotten places
Out in the vast Western land
Where reminders of the past
And ghost like buildings stand
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A COWBOY'S DREAMS
Joel T. Bailey
He stretched out on his bunk
Tiredness showing on his face
But as he slipped off to sleep
A smile slowly took its place
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EARNING HIS SPURS
Joel T. Bailey
Big Bill was a successful rancher
Known for his size by everyone
But there was quite a difference
Between him and his only son
For Bill Junior was small in statue
And always seemed kinda frail
Big Bill joked if he had been a calf
He'd have left him by the trail
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LONG RIDE HOME
Joel T. Bailey
He stood beside his horse on a hill
And gazed at the valley below him
In the distance he can see a river
Where as a boy he used to swim
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ONE RODE NORTH, ONE RODE SOUTH
Joel T. Bailey
Two brothers were born and raised
On a little Kansas farm
One was always fighting
The other never did anyone harm
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GRANDPA'S OLD SADDLE
Joel T. Bailey
Back when I was a kid
Grandpa would set me astraddle
His most prized possession
An old Texas saddle
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DADDY'S LITTLE COWBOY
Joel T. Bailey
He stood beside his daddy
On a warm summer day
He stared at the herd of cattle
His daddy would drive away
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RIDE'EM COWBOY
Joel T. Bailey
I had always dreamed
Of riding in a rodeo
So I signed myself up
To give bronc riding a go
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ROUNDUP TIME
Joel T. Bailey
The cowboys are up at daylight
Breakfast done and saddles are on
They know what has to be done
So with the rising sun, they're gone
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THE COWBOY POET
Joel T. Bailey
The cowboy poet tells his stories
With verse and rhyme
About the Western way of life
In a by gone time
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TALL TALE TOM
Joel T. Bailey
Years ago when I was a cowboy
Still young enough to work the range
I worked on a south Texas ranch
With an old cowboy who was kinda strange
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AN OLD COWBOY AND HIS DOG
Joel T. Bailey
The old cowboy sat on his porch
In his favorite rocking chair
He looked down at his dog
Who was lying there
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A COWBOYS REFLECTIONS
Joel T. Bailey
He rode out on a mesa rim
And gazed across the vast plain
He listened to a far away whistle
Of an old freight train
He gave thanks to the Lord
For making this beautiful land
And for giving him a happiness
Only a cowboy could understand
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RIDING THE LINE
Joel T. Bailey
He grew tired of drifting
So he decided to settle down
He would look for a job
When he got to the next town
He'd done some cowboying
So he'd check around
He didn't mind working cattle
For forty and found
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DOOLEY'S MAIL ORDER BRIDE
Joel T. Bailey
Dooley was a rancher and had been most of his life
But now that he was older he started wanting a wife
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TWO OLD SADDLE PALS
Joel T. Bailey
They were born and raised in the West
And good friends sense boyhood
Through good times and bad
By each other’s side they stood
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A WESTERN NIGHT
Joel T. Bailey
As the sun goes down
And the darkness falls
The West is transformed
Into a home with no walls
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THE COUNTRY BOY
Joel T. Bailey
The country life is gone
But not the country boy
He's got his memories
That still bring him joy
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THE BULLRIDER
Joel T. Bailey
In the arena the crowd is cheering
The bullrider nods for the gate
He gives the people a show
While trying to make the eight
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THE LOVE OF A COWBOY
Joel T. Bailey
She worked in a bar room
On the outskirts of Santa Fe
She dreamed of someone
Who would take her away
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THE COWBOY
Joel T. Bailey
They came from everywhere
And made their stand
They carved out a way of life
In an untamed land
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BUCK and JIM
Joel T. Bailey
Buck and Jim were drifting cowboys
Riding for one ranch then another
They were friends from childhood
Always looking out for each other
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THE TENDERFOOT
Joel T. Bailey
He came out West from New York City
To start his life anew
He'd read dime novels about cowboys
So he wanted to be one too
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THE CROOKED TRAIL
Joel T. Bailey
His father died when he was nine
And his mother did all she could
To teach him right from wrong
So he'd live the way he should
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THE OLD RANCH HOUSE
Joel T. Bailey
On the plains is an old ranch house
Where no one lives anymore
The roof has started to sag
And theres no hinges on the door
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OLD COWBOY'S PRAYER
Joel T. Bailey
Dear Lord I'm just an old cowboy
Whose string is almost run
I know I ain't talked to you much
But I didn't want to bother you none
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GIMP
Joel T. Bailey
He was born in south Texas
On a little hard luck spread
But it was lost to taxes
And most of his kin are dead
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GRANDPA WAS A COWBOY
Joel T. Bailey
Grandpa learned to be a cowboy
Back when the West was rough
To make it back in those days
A cowboy had to be tough
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LIVING HIS DREAM
Joel T. Bailey
He wanted to be a cowboy
From the time he could walk
He'd sit in the bunkhouse
And listen to the cowboys talk
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THE GHOST RIDER
Joel T. Bailey
I was riding by the stockyard on my way into town
When I saw a ragged old cowboy laying on the ground
I rode over and asked him if there was anything wrong
He said yeah there is but it won't be for long
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THE SINGING COWBOY
Joel T. Bailey
Jimmy was a cowboy
He rode for the Rocking R
When he wasn't punching cattle
He was picking his old guitar
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THE DRIFTER
Joel T. Bailey
He rests beside a dusty trail
Under a moonlit sky
His head on his saddle
Listening to a coyote's cry
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SHORTY'S LAST RIDE
Joel T. Bailey
Shorty was a bull rider
Altho he stood only five foot two
He could've been most anything
But this is what he wanted to do
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JUST A COWBOY
Joel T. Bailey
He's just a cowboy, not the worst or best
A rider of the range who loves the West
His word is his bond, the truth his creed
And just a hand shake is all he'll need
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THE PROSPECTOR
Joel T. Bailey
Out in the western mountains
Once lived a lonely breed of man
Whose life was spent searching
With pick, shovel and pan
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JELLY BEAN
Joel Bailey
The boys were sitting around the bunkhouse
One warm Sunday afternoon
Some were playing matchstick poker
One had a guitar and was picking a tune
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The Cowboy Life
Joel Bailey
The days are long,the nights are short
Theres rain,cold and heat
They're out before the sun comes up
And its dark when the days complete
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Epitaph for an Outlaw
Joel Bailey
From the foothills of the ozarks to a street in Abilene
A runaway kid became an outlaw somewhere in between
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Tall Tales
Joel Bailey
In days of old
When nights were cold
We'd sit around the fire
And tell tall tales
As the night wind wails
To see who was the biggest liar
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THE OLD COWBOY
Joel Bailey
They all gathered by the bunk
Where the old cowboy lay
They had to lean real close
To hear what he had to say
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