COWBOY by LaRae King

This is Dona Peterson's painting
given by LaRae to her and Jim,
I'm sure for that Cowboy Jim,
hanging on Dona's wall.
I was there trying to find out facts
Decided to post in honor
of finishing the damn book, again..
I started on Index and found errors.
And more errors.
So I'll need to finish and finish
But I finished enough to write
a poem about Clyde King and daughters
that would not work in the book.
This picture reminded me of him..
and that it's Christmas...So I guess
I'll post it here.

Clyde King and Five Daughters

When I think of all those hours,
driving cattle, in the truck going from
Boulder to Salt Gulch and back,
watering alfalfa fields, hauling
cows to Koosheram to sell...
all those hours of silence.

I wonder why Clyde didn't believe
in his girls strong minds,
didn't know they had nerve and fire
wanting to conquer the world
as well as the cattle business.

He could have taught us to rope and ride
how the actual business ran,
What made a good cattle range.
What plants to grow or avoid
(which plant was the dread "loco weed".
What was good stock or poor.
What was the ideal herd and why
cut that one out?
What to look for when you buy?
How to sell at the best price
at the right time.
We should have known the cattle business
top to bottom when we left home.
He didn't believe girls had minds.

Gerry quit school to be a writer.
She insisted all her sisters, kids, and
anyone else who would listen..WRITE.
We wrote. We agonized over what we said..
while she tackled the difficult subjects
of Child molesting, adultry, abortion..
She insisted we think
And keep thinking!

Marge finished her training as a registered Nurse
Worked in mental hospitals and in Public Health.
She became director at Maricopa State Mental Hospital
Trained to be a Nurse Practioner
Opened her own clinic where she
worked until retirement.
She made money..and wrote articles about health,
published books written by Aunt Nethella and Irene,
She did one about Floyd and one about Clyde with Ann.
Is writing now about herself...
the hard one.

LaRae was a budding cartoonist, artist and sculptress
when she was taken by Cancer, a Downwinder.
She was director of Braithweight Museum when she died.
Our monument of loss.
We don't forget her sense of humor
Her book of poetry called "Coffin Nails"
and her courageous struggle with Ovarian Cancer.

Ann finished her Masters while teaching at Tolleson.
Moving to Utah,taught swimming at Monroe Hot Springs.
She went to Piute High and on to Panguitch High.
where she lost pancreas and spleen to a 'sick' building?
Retired, is now trying to make writing time.
(And still teaches swimming lessons.)
Poetry comes out in all it's various forms
and is almost ready with her Esclante Monument book.

Linda is the most renoun poet among us.
She has several books to her name.
She is both artist and sculptress,
the heads of famous poets and family
sit around the country.
She complains they are heavy..and
may give them up for poetry,
much lighter to handle... and paintings.

So Clyde, your daughters still struggle
for elusive fame, but we have made
a mighty effort. I hope you now,
residing on The Other Side
admire the girls!