In Rememberance of Hopalong X (Mike)

i dont mind, its from the remembrance page on the sacha link in my sig.
its my son sachas star from that page.

Thank you my dear.:).. the one I have is too large for this.
The website is such a lovely rememberance idea.

yes, sadly the list has grown considerably.

Originally I wanted to do a "Baxter Black" themed post for Mike, but had to wait for permission to use one of his poems, I received that permission yesterday, and offer it here today.

I KNOW YOU’LL MISS THIS MAN

The Lord spoke to the heavy hearts that stood with hats in hand

"Your sadness pains me deeply and I know you'll miss this man
But, it's true what you've been hearing, Heaven is a real place.
That's no small consolation. You should use that fact to face

The emptiness his parting left that seeps into your bones
And draw on it to ease your pain. For he is not alone.
You see, all his friends are up here and all his loved ones, too,
'Cause it wouldn't be a heaven without each one of you.

And heaven for a cowboy is just what you might expect,
It's horses that need tunin' up and heifers that need checked.
It's long rides with a purpose and a code that lights the way
And a satisfying reason to get up every day.

It's the ranch he's always dreamed of and never knew he'd find
And if you think about it, you can see it in your mind.
Him, leanin' in the saddle with his ol' hat on his head,
Contentment set upon his face like blankets on a bed.

The leather creaks a little as he shifts there in the seat.
The bit chains give a jingle when his pony switches feet.
And you somehow get the feelin' that he's sittin' on a throne
A'gazin' out on paradise just like it was his own.

I can promise you he's happy, though I know you can't pretend
You're glad he made the journey. It's too hard to comprehend.
The earthly way you look at things can never satisfy
Your lack of understanding for the answer to the 'Why?'

So, I offer this small comfort to put your grief to rest,
I only take the top hands 'cause my crew's the very best.
And I know it might seem selfish to friends and next of kin
But I needed one more cowboy and Mike will fit right in."

Source:
Coyote Cowboy Company
Written by: Baxter Black www.baxterblack.com, and used with the authors permission.
Permission was also given to use “Mike” instead of the original name "Billy" in the last line of the poem.


Mike, May you have blue skies and happy trails.....

Steve

Very heartfelt Steve.

Just hearing of this news for the first time. I am deeply saddened that I did not know him better. He was a great member of this forum and I wish that he may rest in peace. The good ones always leave us too soon.