Heritage and History

[couchgrouch]

Heritage and HistoryA rancher walked his colliein burning southwest sandshis dog brought him an old bonethat he held in calloused handsdust devils swirled behind himshapes and shadows filled the airthen appeared a young Apacheproud upon a chestnut marethat fighter's horse reared uplaid its hooves upon the skyready to return its masterto meadows on highthen that collie started barkingat the haunted scenebut he couldn't show the rancherthat sleeping bones can dreamfor bones are just part of the mysterythe mystery of heritage and historyhundreds of native fam'liesstuck on stony plots of landbut one heart jumped that reservationwild horizons in his handhe found shelter in tall mountainsthat blades of time had carvedbut soon winds of change and winterfound his fam'ly cold and starvedhe left them in a high caverode east with lance and bowto bring back food and fresh skinsfrom valleys belowthough it took seven arrowsfor that mighty bull to fallthat brave fell with one bullethis mare nudged him as he crawledbut blood is just part of the mysterythe mystery of heritage and historycowboys buried that Apachein two feet of dusty groundnow a dog sniffs sacred acresthe hand of fate handed downthat rancher called his collieand tossed that old bone awaybut somewhere in a cavernthe hills hear ghostly whispers saythat hills are just part of the mysterythe mystery of heritage and history(c)2005 Robert George