Longrider ladies

Longrider ladies
with their white haired cowboys
glide across the
hardwood and hay floors
while the band
rambles on
in that Hank Williams way
consuming them in memory
of dances at the
community hall on
arid summer nights
petticoats and periwinkle roses
made from crepe paper
and the smell of the boys
after a day of ranching
hidden under cheap cologne
from the five and dime

Longrider ladies
with their white haired cowboys
dance as if they were
a hundred years younger
and a million miles away
tonight’s suitors decked out
in well worn boots
and Johnny Cash suits
for a moment forgetting
the husbands who passed
and the wives they lost
just a short time ago
twirling tornados
kicking up the dust
which settles on them
and sending the reaper
back to the bar
for another

Longrider ladies
and their white haired cowboys
are the stars of the room
leaving space on their dance card
for just one more gentleman
laughing and lingering like little girls
escaping papa’s watch
tossing their Emmy Lou hair
while sipping gin and tonic
long jean skirts and
smooth satin shirts
Revlon ruby red
flashing across
pretty Porcelana skin
tonight they remember
what it was like
before the birthdays
and burials were booked
back to back
tonight they are
the pure blue blood
pulsating life through this
dying honky-tonk bar

Longrider ladies
with their white haired cowboys
please take a bow