COWBOY WISDOM

From my book "Jack Elam, I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life", a couple of short bits of cowboy wisdom:

Take some advice from an old cattleman,

I promise, I give you my word,

When thirsty in the midst of a cattle run,

Drink upstream from the herd. 

*

Sat in my rocking chair in the morning sun,

Sometimes a thought occurs,

So I offer you this sound advice,

Never squat while wearing your spurs.

Jack Elam, I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life

By Joe Cushnan

I have always loved westerns. I have given westerns a significant chunk of my time through five decades. I stand, metaphorical guns pointing and say, westerns, I gave you the best years of my life. This is a book about nostalgia, about passion, about celebration and about poetry. It’s a kind of scrapbook and memory jogger. There will be lists to illustrate some points and poems to ponder as we mosey on through. Some of the poems are simple, straightforward pieces and some are little scenes from imaginary films or just random cowboy thoughts. The book, as you may have gathered by now, has a central theme – westerns – and a particular name and face as it’s mascot, Jack Elam, the best supporting actor any western film could have wished for. This is not a western encyclopedia, nor a text book, nor a biography, nor anything other than a fan’s indulgence via poetry. But it might just stir up some fond memories and raise a smile from my generation of pretend cowboys, and I hope it also acts as a signpost for younger generations to visit some of the television and cinema features mentioned herein.

ISBN: 9781782993056

Total Pages: 102

Published: 8 April 2013

Price: £5.99