Barney

Yesterday morning, the snow came at last
The cattle all came down from the hill
Barney, he's been crippled for quite a long while now
His old legs stiffened there in the chill

Since coming up from Texas, he's been owned by many
And he's been rodeo'd and knocked all around
So to bury him deep, before the ground got too hard
That morning I put Barney down

We walked up the hill through the dead brown grass
Barney, a rifle, and I
And tying him quickly, I took aim and I fired
In hopes he'd feel nothing and die

But with a heart such as he had, he clung so to life
Busted his halter and staggered away
He was coughing his blood, still fighting to stand
He pitched forward and died where he lay

As I drove into town, I started to cry
Where no one could see or could care
And the sadness cut through me as I stared through my tears
At rush hour's oncoming glare

And I wept for my season of youth past and done
And for things that I thought I forgot
But mostly I cried for an honest brown horse
Who gave me much more than he got