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A Fitting Monument
by
Mike Moutoux


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In the dry land stands the monument of a dreamer.
It is a testament to hope, to years of yearning,
Standing tall above the grasses, rocks, and scrub oak
Below a cloudless sky and sun so brightly burning.
No babbling brooks cross here, just silent sand arroyos.
Few linger here at all; fewer still would stake a claim.
Only fools and dreamers could love this barren land.
It does not suffer fools; dreamers love it just the same.
'Twas the Homestead Act that brought him here to dream and sweat.
It was the solitude and grass that made it feel right
But there were months when precious rains were non-existent.
Each cloudless day brought another worried, weary night.
All that changed when the Aermotor windmill was delivered.
The well was dug, the tower raised; each rod and gear in place.
The wind blew as always, but now it turned a shiny fan
And both the cowman's heart and dreams begin to race.
The cowman would talk about that day for years to come,
How the blades spun, the rods creaked, how he paced and paced
And then water, precious water, poured from pipe to trough,
Giving hope, a thing a man could actually taste,
Within weeks, trails appeared around the water trough
As thirsty critters, one by one, found the water there, of course.
Not just cows, but the antelope, fox, and deer drank there.
The tower, a beacon, led them to their water source.
The story of the dreamer is old, but not forgotten.
The tower still stands, although its working years are spent—
A testament to one man's hope and all those years of yearning.
For a dreamer and cowman, a most fitting monument.


© by Mike Moutoux.
Used here with the author's permission.



Mike Moutoux (pronounced "moo-toe") is a cowboy-singer-songwriter-photographer-poet who lives in Pinos Altos, New Mexico. Touted as “New Mexico’s Enchanting Cowboy,” his poems provide a rare and realistic look into the life of a working cowboy. These days,  Mike's passion is nature photography, and his pictures are as breathtaking as his poems. Enjoy some of his work at https://www.youtube.com/user/mikemoutoux.

    

 

 


Post New Comment:
Anastasia:
"It does not suffer fools; dreamers love it just the same."-what a wonderful way to express the challenges of the land! "Giving hope, a thing a man could actually taste" - this made me cry, in a good way. Well done, Mike!
Posted 05/14/2023 10:55 PM
Jo:
A poem of solace tonight. I enjoyed hearing about the dreamer who made it happen. Yes to windmills.
Posted 01/18/2023 09:50 PM
Lori Levy:
A lot of wisdom in this poem.
Posted 01/18/2023 02:42 PM
Wilda Morris:
Not at all what I expected in a cowboy poem! Thanks for this!
Posted 01/18/2023 10:34 AM
cork:
I love windmills.
Posted 01/18/2023 09:32 AM
paradea:
Wonderful!!
Posted 01/18/2023 09:05 AM
Michael:
WOW! Image, cadence and rhyme's music . . . all the ingredients for an artistic treat. Well done, Mike.
Posted 01/18/2023 07:54 AM
Larry Schug:
A fine poem for many reasons--its story and its lesson, the tension and resolution of a problem and the scene it paints. I like the picture I get from "antelope, fox and deer drank there" and the mental picture of the windmill being a beacon.
Posted 01/18/2023 07:42 AM


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