Never Last
 
at times I lie awake at night thinking of the past
remembering all the things that seem to never last
Like where I rode my first horse that I called big red
When we lived in Kansas on the lazy seven spread 
 
The land was covered with  tall grass where coyotes hid
And we had no reason to worry about what it was we did
we rode our ponies to a place where time seemed to stop
listening to the wind that spun our dreams like a top
 
Dreams we had of places and things we'd never see
Indian raids and pony express or a charging cavalry
Before we had to finish school and think about a job
We'd wash behind our ears to sit and eat corn on the cob
 
of course there's spills and bites and animals dead or sick
Getting hit or  missed when cow or horse would kick
morning chores that kept you from the sleep you needed
and always grandmas' garden that never was quite weeded
 
cold soda from an ice chest on a summer night
listening to the stories of your grandpa and his fight
or a small town rodeo where my family drove to see
some wild kid make a ride that wasn't on TV
 
That's the way it is with kids for just a little while
Things you did that even now will bring back a smile
at times I lie awake at night thinking of the past
remembering all the things that seem to never last
©Steve Dirksen