Tony Hillerman. Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Cowboy Poem Category, 2015 Summer Fun Write Stuff Contest
By Barb Owings
It started when I had some time to kill
At the library looking for a book that might give me a thrill
When I happened upon mysteries written about the West
So I checked out a few to give them a test
The stories were short and had interesting plots
And it turned out I really liked them a lot
They contained adventures about places unknown
Like vast desert mesas, often dry as a bone
His plots, his characters told the tales
Of mystic creatures and fearless males
Readers have sat on the edge of their seats
While reading of his heroes and all of their feats
Protagonist, Lt.Joe Leaphorn, an honorable man
And his young sidekick, Sgt. Jim Chee,a reluctant fan
Together they handled all kinds of cases
Which took them to Hopi, Supai and Apache places
Joe Leaphorn, a resourceful man
Desert Foothills Library
Always ready with a well thought-out plan
Wise in the ways of the Navajo life
Overcoming danger and all kinds of strife
Young Jim Chee, a Traditional Navajo at heart
A man of faith, seeking Harmony each day to start
With a pinch of pollen would bless each day
From his rust east-facing trailer, his way to pray
While learning about the desert’s wide open spaces
Joe Leaphorn gave us insight to some far off places
Jim Chee, being younger had some conflicts in life
Like trying to find a woman who’d be a good wife
They introduced us to Skeleton Man,Guardian of the Underworld, a Hopi renowned
Who taught them not to be afraid of death, a lesson quite sound
Kokopelli, The Flute Player, was mentioned a lot
On the book shelves at Desert Foothills Library, seen in various spots
Books by the author are lined in a row
On the library shelves, always seeming to grow
I miss this great author but now have some hope
That daughter, Anne’s writings will throw me some rope.
You know the kind, when you enter the library stack
Will bring great memories of Tony Hillerman back
So when thoughts of preserving something worthwhile I find
Two things – Tony Hillerman,an author so fine
And the Desert Foothills Library to finish this rhyme
**This is a combination of a poem about the West and preserving something in the community – both gems!
Barb Owings is a resident of Cave Creek, a frequent editorial contributor to The Peak, and a past winner of The Peak’s Write Stuff contest.
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