Philosophizing with Bix

Chuck Martin

I saw the old cowboy sittin’ on the wood plank floor,
leanin’ against the wall.
I was there to catch a train
it didn’t matter, anywhere at all.
I was glad to leave
this hot, dusty town.
Too many bad memories
to stick around.
The man was old had a weather
beat face.
His pants were ragged, a clean spot
there weren’t a trace .
He wore an old grey Stetson hat
All crumpled from wear,
And hitched to a post in front of him
was a run down appy mare.
Tippin' his hat back he looked up at me,
“sit yerself down,” he said,
“ an’ share the shade.
the sun’s beatin down an’
It’s hottern’ Hades.”
I sat down next to the old geezer
Took out my kerchief an’ wiped my neck.
“Might as well,” I said, “trains always late
if’n it don’t get in a wreck.”
“ Beware the pessimist, who sez
the train’ll never get here,
then it’ll never leave, an’ when it leaves,
we’ll never see it again I fear.”
I sez, “I don’t need no object lesson.”
He answered. "‘A stangers business is not yor’n.’”
“It hain’t been a good year fer me,
that’s why I’m leaving’ ,” I mourn,
“What’s eatin‘ you ?”
The old man asked, bitin’ off a piece a chew.
“‘I homesteaded bout twenty miles from here,
had a wife, an’ a good one too.
She couldn’t take the wind an’ sand.
Left ‘bout a month ago, took my horse.
my favorite hound, an’ all the money
we’d saved, a ‘course.”
“Given the right dose of prickly pear
any nag will buck,” he said.
“Yeah,” I answered absentmindedly. “It’s sure been rough
with her gone, an’ livin’ all alone.
No food in the place,
just a no meat chicken bone.”
"Lonesome brings on ailments
that only company can cure.
Sorry looks back, Worry looks around
Faith looks up, thas’ fer sure.”
“Say ol’ man I don’t think I asked fer your advise
sounds like yer makin’ fun a my plight in any case.”
“Advice is like a pot a chili: Try a little yerself before you give
anybody else a taste.”
I said, “ please shut the heck up
yer philosophy is annoying an' I'm 'bout to see red.”
You’re not diplomatic because you put ‘please’ in front of
‘shut up’”, he said.
“Look, son, I been where you are
quite a few times.
Ya can't let it get ya down
an' set jus’ around an' whine."
"Ya sure got a mouthful to hand out
where ya gettin' this stuff?' I asked.
"Bix Bender put'em in a book.
I really didn't mean ta get ya in a huff."
"There's the train," I said, "Before I go
I got one fer you.
No man owning' a dogs gotta' bark his self.
See, I've red some Bix too.
I climbed aboard an' sat down
an' heard the old man yell before the train was gone
"Hey, mister, jus' remember...
DON"T SQUAT WITH YER SPIRS ON!"