Banjo in the
two rein. Half breed bit by Todd Hansen.
Katie
Maddox and "Those Gates"
THOSE GATES (subtitled Jeans Too Tight)
“I’ll get the gate!”—Oh, blessed sound
Which keeps my feet up off the ground
And in the stirrups, their proper use,
And, in the saddle, my caboose.
Why, oh, why must they sag and scrape
And thereby hamper our escape??
The bolts don’t fit into the holes,
So we must lift up on the poles.
With all our might we hoist and push
And try to get the timing right,
Cause if you get into a rush
It only will prolong the fight.
And oh, those gates of barbed wire—
How they do provoke my ire!
Your fingers are in danger mortal
When you try to close this portal.
I like those gates that freely swing
And simply latch with slot or snap.
To these my horse’s skills I’d bring.
Together we could bridge the gap.
Those other gates will bear the curse
That can’t be got from back of horse!
poetry by Katie Maddox
