Fire Side

By Fred Miller

Gather round the fire, folks
I'll tell to you my tale
Of guns an' stock an' riders
And of moonlight on the trail
Of rock an' rain an' sunshine
In an almost forgotten time
Of trails all growed over
'Mongst the high up twisted pine
Of the view you get of sundown
When you sit at timberline
Of the cracklin' of a fire
When it's fed with spruce or pine
Of the smell of sweatin' horses
Of of sleepin' on the ground
An' that cup of mornin' coffee
When there just ain't any sound
Of the quiet before the thunder
When Ma nature holds her breathe
An' the winds from out the mountain, cold
Like it's blowed 'cross the face of death
Of spurs an' boots an' saddles
Of hobbles, packs an' ropes
Of moose an' elk an' whisky jacks
And life upon the slopes
It's a country with the bark on
It's rough, but then again
People stop to say, "Hello"
For it brings out the best in men.


Fire Side by Fred Lawrence Miller (May 24, 1955 - Nov 2, 2012) was excerpted from his only book of poetry, 'Leftovers, Latigoes & Lies.'  Fred was a popular outfitter, noted mule man and highly regarded cowboy poet from Alberta.