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Cowboy poetry is fun and especially celebratory for Christmas. Here is a commentary I wrote about one of my favorite cowboy Christmas poems, "Christmas Waltz" by Buck Ramsey:

Buck Ramsey's "Christmas Waltz"



Buck Ramsey's "Christmas Waltz" features a cowboy Christmas with a tree from the big ranch that was picked out sometime during summer and the rollicking good time the ranch hands have as they celebrate the birth of a baby boy born in a cow shed.

First Stanza: "The winter is here and the old year is passing"
The speaker begins his celebration of the Christmas season by stating, "winter is here"; he continues to offer a description of the time of year by averring that the old year is almost over, and the sun has moved "far to the south. "

At Christmas time, the sun is at the Topic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere, a fact that prompts the line,"sun in its circle winds far in the south." The speaker declares, "{i}ts Christmas tree time of the year for the house." Soon a big tree will decorate the ranch house.

Second Stanza: "Go ride to the cedar break rim of a canyon"
Sure enough, the speaker tells us where that big festive tree comes from: while sizing up the pasture, the speaker had seen the perfect tree down by the river where the water was crystal clear. He will remember where it was and send someone to fetch it when Christmas time comes.

Third Stanza: "While Fair strings the berries and popcorn and whatnots"
A woman named Fair will decorate by stringing berries and popcorn. Another person named Ty will hang wreaths out of leather and vines. While they do this, Old Dunder will whittle and whistle old carols and tell stories of the olden days.

Fourth Stanza: "He talks of a baby boy born in a cow shed"
Old Dunder is the one who will speak of the reason for the season, "a baby boy born in a cow shed." He will mention how Jesus "gave away all he could gather" and how he taught humanity the importance of giving.

Fifth Stanza: "It's morning of Christmas and long before dawning"
Finally, Christmas day arrives. Before it even becomes daylight, the camp hands are risen and are ready to start building fires and cooking. Before they do, they go out "to gaze on the Star of the East." This ritual is like a cowboy prayer offered as part of the celebration.

Sixth Stanza: "They cobbler the plums they put up back in summer"
Then the cooking begins with making plum cobbler from the plums they put up back in summer. They bake wild turkey and roast backstrap deer. They bake sourdough bread, while "pass[ing] each to each now the brown jug of cheer."

Seventh Stanza: "The dinner is done and they pass out the presents"
After enjoying a big dinner, all the guests gather around and pass out the presents. Each person gets at least three presents a piece. They hug and shake hands in gratitude for each gift.

Now it is time for music and dancing; Ty plays the guitar and Fred plays the fiddle, while Dunder and Fair roll back the rugs so the dancing can begin.

Eighth Stanza: "The tunes that they play melt the chill from the winter"
The lively music and frolicking good times seem to melt the chill from the winter. Dunder and Fair dance long past dawn. They all sing and dance until the next morning. And then when they finally go off to sleep, the good times and music will keep ringing in "their slumbers."

Source:
Buck Ramsey, "Christmas Waltz," Western & Cowboy Poetry at the Bar-D Ranch.

This article originally appeared on Suite.io, December 2012.

I love Baxter Black. His story about the vacuum salesman is hilarious. It's topped only by the one about the cowboy who fell on his hip flask when he came home from a hard night of drinking.

Thanks, Connie. I'll have to check that out. Sounds promising! Love cowboy lore!