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