Something grotesque galloped out of the Wild West
leaving stumps in forests, poison in rivers,
a string of roasted chicken joints paying minimum wage,
a legend who looked so grand on the silver screen
little kids got silver dollar eyes, daddies big buckles,
guys named Gabby and gals named Gale yodeled
to the tunes of a white western knight on a stuffed horse.
Hell, Roy wasn’t a real cowboy and this was never a real country
but at least Roy could sorta strum and kinda croon.
Most real estate developers just bulldoze mountain meadows,
slap up cheap condos, and ride on.