When Freedom Outlives Its Time

[couchgrouch]

When Freedom Outlives Its TimeLong ago high in the southwest mountainsa cougar hunted deer and drank from sparkling fountainsthen ranchers drove off his food and life became a battlehe was forced to kill border collies and straying cattlehills that once were his home, that had room to breathe and roamnow found no place for his kindwhen hounds cornered him that night, his screams were what it sounds likewhen freedom outlives its time'round nineteen and four Jake loved to ride and gamblehis wife was Lady Luck...his mistress was Texas bramblefair games and fast guns were his means of survivalone night he outdrew a cardcheat's Winchester riflebut bankers ruled towns by then,some marshal gathered twenty menwho cornered Jake by the state linebut Jake was a fearless man,who'd rather die by his own handwhen freedom outlives its timesome might say the land was already dyin'when it took liberty from ramblers and lionscos though most pioneers seek the Garden of Edenthe last frontier isn't land it's freedom for so many things grow old,then just fade lonely and coldwhen their days get left behindbut what could be sadder than,the last breath of beast or manwhen freedom outlives its time(c)2004 Robert George