Livin' in Town

LIVIN' IN TOWN
Baxter Black 1986

Living in town is hard, when you're born to the land.

As unlikely as it may appear
to folks who know me in other contexts,
I was raised on a remote cattle ranch
where I learned to love the land and the open skies.
I was the black sheep of the family, of course,
and the first to leave for the city,
but I moved back to the hills the first chance I got.

My brothers are still on the farm,
both working cash jobs
to subsidize their hard work
raising food for their bosses.

The family farm will die with this generation
if changes aren't ...
Ah, hell, let the folks who understand it
tell you all about it. Just stroll on over to
farmaid.org


Baxter Black, the author of this poem, is a veterinarian
that used to doctor my dad's cattle and horses.
My dad used to say that Baxter was a better poet than vet!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• folk
• cowboy
• poetry
• economy
• recession
• urbanization
• farmaid
• townhouse
• realestate
• condo
• horse
• farm
• ranch
• wilderness
• ranching
• countrylife
• Baxter
• Black

[pirrung123]

Very cool words :o)

[ottlakerambler]

Great rendition and still impressive as all get-out. Glad I returned for this one.

[brothersam2]

I just want to say, that moved me and I pray someday that your dream of yours happens.

[brothersam2]

I just to say that moved me and I pray some day that your dream of your comes to pass.

[heathermc79]

Well done!

[Urgelt]

I'm afraid I don't remember that one.

Sounds rather tongue-in-cheek, doesn't it? Black was a humorist above all else. But underneath the humor, you could find nuggest of wisdom, too.

The biosphere really does recycle everything organic. We are what was, and we will be something else, over and over. It's a diffuse sort of reincarnation, but none-the-less real.

[Mutch820]

I too liked listening to him on NPR. There was one I can't recall the name and I have tried to find it ever since. It begins with the reader telling a friend to avoid stepping on a flower. It continues to explpain that this flower is another friend maybe reincarnated? He was eaten and this is where the animal pooped which provided the fertilizer that allowed the flower to grow. Do you or anyone recall this poem?

[Urgelt]

This is exactly how Black should be read. Sincere, unpretentious, human.

Years ago, I used to enjoy his recitals on National Public Radio. Irony is my favorite form of humor, and Black used irony like Renoir used a paint brush. It's great to see his work reach a YouTube audience.

[suuzzee5]

One of the best videos I've seen... eloquent and real and from the heart!

[willienelsonpri]

Shas, only someone who has lived the life can speak of this. Thank you for sharing your words. We are in a time of great change and this is a testament to this fact. Thanks for being real. Much love, Liz