He’d wake up sorta rough around the edges
then he’d pull in his teeth from out of the glass
yawn then rub his eyes with the back of his hands
scratch his belly for a while and then his ass
After a time you would look around the house
and wonder where in the world old Jim had gone
Out the window you’d see him headed to the
outhouse wearin’ nought but red flannel long johns
He’d have a newspaper tucked under his arm
though everyone knew he couldn’t read a bit
Said he liked to wipe his ass on the headlines
they was already filled to the brim with shit
He’d make it back to the house just in time for
breakfast and barely said a word while we ate
We headed out for chores before the sun rose
cause fifteen minutes early to Jim is late
Now us boys would work until plum soaked with sweat
while Jim just shuffled around a bit you see
Guess we probably couldn’t ask for much more
seeing as how Jim was just past eighty three
Like I said before, Jim never did talk much
when he did it would be best that you take heed
Because he never put in his two cents worth
lest it was something that you was gonna need
He taught me that standing my ground for what’s right
is the way the cowboy life has always been
You should never raise your hand to a woman
and stealing from others is a definite sin
If’n you say that you’ll be doing a job
than you better do it the best that you can
Cause slacking away is the devil’s right hand
you can bet you’ll never be trusted again
Well growing up into manhood on the ranch
I owe almost everything I learned to him
Now as I ride each day out past where he lays
I stop and say a prayer for my friend Jim
Jerry Brotherton 