Our area has a bunch of cowboys in the National Guard. The other day I saw a picture of a soldier and
his family. His guard unit was headed for Iraq. He was holdin' a youngster a couple years old, and the
boy's arms were wrapped around his dad's neck and in his chubby little hand was an American flag on a
stick. The flag was wavin' just above his dad's head. The thing I remember most about that picture was
that young mother. She had a baby in her arms and in her face you could see fear, pride, and
composure. There was a bucket full of tears in there wantin' to come out but she wasn't lettin' ‘em.
And the way she was lookin' at her husband let you know that she'd back him any place, any time. As I
looked at this picture I couldn't help but drop my head and ask the Lord to bring this young cowboy
home safe. So many of these stories end in tragedy, so I wrote one with a happy endin' just to make
myself feel better. I call it
WAITIN' FOR THE CALL
There's an empty saddle in the horse barn tonight,
a young mother's tears softly flow,
For her cowboy soldier half a world away
is always in danger, she knows.
His convictions are deep, as is her love for him,
he's worked hard and been honest with all
He volunteered to serve his country there
not waitin' for the call.
He told her a man has to defend his own,
make a world where his children can grow,
That the forces of evil have to be put down
and the strong are the ones to go.
So his lariat's coiled, hangin' on the horn,
his spurs and his chaps on the wall
And she sits here alone while her children sleep,
she's just waitin' for the call.
Her friend across the range got a call one day
from the Padre sayin' her man won't be back
And this young wife spent a lot of her time
with that friend while she grieved for her Jack.
Now she knows the chances are half and half
he could be the next one to fall
So tonight she's prayin' the Lord keep him safe
while she's waitin' for the call.
When connections do work and she hears his voice
scratchy and faint on the phone
She keeps her voice happy while she talks to him,
she's waitin' to welcome him home.
Then he tells her about folks he works with each day
never mentions the sufferin' and all.
And they both know tomorrow she'll start again,
anxiously waitin' for the call.
He lives in a tent in one hundred plus heat
packin' many pounds of armor
But he don't complain, he's here to work,
and he'll do his job with honor.
Last time he called she could feel the strain,
he's goin' on patrol when night falls,
So he'd called and got through just to talk a bit
while he's waitin' for the call.
Then she worries some more, prays again for his life
and puts her faith in God
Without that faith there'd be no hope,
and her soul would be down trod.
So she cares for the ranch and their two young sons,
Jimmy's two and the baby's so small,
And the boys seem to know as she does her chores
she's still waitin' for the call.
As he crouches by a wall his mind goes back
to the family and the ranch he loves so
Then he brings his mind ‘round to the job at hand,
watchin' the squad leader go.
Then they move into place, depend on each other,
each soldier tries to make himself small
While their leader takes time to check out the line
as they set, waitin' for the call.
Now, he's young and strong but war takes it's toll
and it's agin' him beyond his years
While livin' with bugs in the heat and the sand,
friends die, and that adds to the fears.
But his hitch is ‘most done, he'll be goin' home,
he'll not miss this war at all
His emotions run high as he does his job,
nervously waitin' for the call.
Then the wife gets the news, her relief is great
it's the answer to her prayer
And she hugs their boys and rejoices for them
‘cause their daddy is almost there.
So she sits by the phone, her spirits high,
to catch the flight time and all
Then she answers the ring, grabs the boys and goes,
no more waitin' for the call.
his family. His guard unit was headed for Iraq. He was holdin' a youngster a couple years old, and the
boy's arms were wrapped around his dad's neck and in his chubby little hand was an American flag on a
stick. The flag was wavin' just above his dad's head. The thing I remember most about that picture was
that young mother. She had a baby in her arms and in her face you could see fear, pride, and
composure. There was a bucket full of tears in there wantin' to come out but she wasn't lettin' ‘em.
And the way she was lookin' at her husband let you know that she'd back him any place, any time. As I
looked at this picture I couldn't help but drop my head and ask the Lord to bring this young cowboy
home safe. So many of these stories end in tragedy, so I wrote one with a happy endin' just to make
myself feel better. I call it
WAITIN' FOR THE CALL
There's an empty saddle in the horse barn tonight,
a young mother's tears softly flow,
For her cowboy soldier half a world away
is always in danger, she knows.
His convictions are deep, as is her love for him,
he's worked hard and been honest with all
He volunteered to serve his country there
not waitin' for the call.
He told her a man has to defend his own,
make a world where his children can grow,
That the forces of evil have to be put down
and the strong are the ones to go.
So his lariat's coiled, hangin' on the horn,
his spurs and his chaps on the wall
And she sits here alone while her children sleep,
she's just waitin' for the call.
Her friend across the range got a call one day
from the Padre sayin' her man won't be back
And this young wife spent a lot of her time
with that friend while she grieved for her Jack.
Now she knows the chances are half and half
he could be the next one to fall
So tonight she's prayin' the Lord keep him safe
while she's waitin' for the call.
When connections do work and she hears his voice
scratchy and faint on the phone
She keeps her voice happy while she talks to him,
she's waitin' to welcome him home.
Then he tells her about folks he works with each day
never mentions the sufferin' and all.
And they both know tomorrow she'll start again,
anxiously waitin' for the call.
He lives in a tent in one hundred plus heat
packin' many pounds of armor
But he don't complain, he's here to work,
and he'll do his job with honor.
Last time he called she could feel the strain,
he's goin' on patrol when night falls,
So he'd called and got through just to talk a bit
while he's waitin' for the call.
Then she worries some more, prays again for his life
and puts her faith in God
Without that faith there'd be no hope,
and her soul would be down trod.
So she cares for the ranch and their two young sons,
Jimmy's two and the baby's so small,
And the boys seem to know as she does her chores
she's still waitin' for the call.
As he crouches by a wall his mind goes back
to the family and the ranch he loves so
Then he brings his mind ‘round to the job at hand,
watchin' the squad leader go.
Then they move into place, depend on each other,
each soldier tries to make himself small
While their leader takes time to check out the line
as they set, waitin' for the call.
Now, he's young and strong but war takes it's toll
and it's agin' him beyond his years
While livin' with bugs in the heat and the sand,
friends die, and that adds to the fears.
But his hitch is ‘most done, he'll be goin' home,
he'll not miss this war at all
His emotions run high as he does his job,
nervously waitin' for the call.
Then the wife gets the news, her relief is great
it's the answer to her prayer
And she hugs their boys and rejoices for them
‘cause their daddy is almost there.
So she sits by the phone, her spirits high,
to catch the flight time and all
Then she answers the ring, grabs the boys and goes,
no more waitin' for the call.
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| "The Saddle Rack" |
| Lines from The Leathertooler Slim McNaught |
| July & August 2006 |
