This is a poem I had written several years ago for an Easter church service at a Cowboy Mounted Shooting event. I would like to share it with you. I hope that even those of you who are not Christian will appreciate the message and the symbolism. Happy Easter!

……..

Last night I dreamt I had run my race

And reached the finish line

And walked the darkened desert path

That waits for all in time

And when I reached the trailhead there

I was rounded up and penned

Inside the ranch that’s called The Grave

The destiny of men

Well, the ramrod was a wicked man

His name was simply Death

He ruled over all the herd

Of those who once drew breath

Now in the center of the ranch

Was a spring of water sweet

That sang to us of life anew

As we suffered in the heat

But struggle though we tried and tried

We never could get near

For the ramrod had a gun of fire

And a whip of solid fear

But when our hopes had died away

And turned into despair

A mighty wondrous thing occurred

For all the mortals there

A cowboy rode into the ranch

And the ramrod seemed to pale

For this had never happened

But he had heard the tale

For ancient legend had it

That one day a man would ride

Down the dark and twisted path

With a wound upon his side

And his hands would also bear twin scars

And his hat would hide a crown

And he would take this ranch

And he would cast it down

Now this cowboy really looked the part

His shirt was stained with blood

And his reins were also slick with it

Where he held them in his gloves

But battle weary though he was

His eyes held naught of fear

And all of us who saw him

Felt salvation was near

And though the ramrod has been called

Pale Rider as you know

Never had he looked so pale

As he faced his mighty foe

When the cowboy swung down from his horse

And he faced the one called Death

Then all of Heaven and of Earth

They all just held their breath

And the cowboy spoke to Death

So everyone could hear

“Do not mistake me for the lamb.

I am a lion here.”

“The price I paid to walk this path

Was steep, but gladly paid.

And now I call you out

For your destiny is laid.”

And on his hip a sixgun shone

Forged by divinity

And on his holster was a brand

The mark of Trinity

And Death went for his gun of fire

But the cowboy was too fast

And in a flash of blessed light

The age of Death was past