El Paso City

El Paso City …

The day was hot

and the sun burned bright,

down on him and his horse,

the misty desert haze,

bringing tears to his eyes.

He rode on longing to reach the Rio Grande,

his horse, head nodding,

looked so tired.

He had ridden from ranch to ranch,

but found no work.

His friend had told him,

of the beauties in El Paso

and he hoped that his heart –

might find a place to settle down.

Any work for him was fine,

but his heart was lonely

and so he rode into El Paso.

Found a place to lay his weary body

and it done him good to hear,

the thankful whinny of his horse,

now rested down below,

as he closed his eyes to rest.

Refreshed and rejuvenated,

he stood at the window,

wondering what this night might bring.

He chose a saloon,

that pleased his eye

and went to look around.

That was when he saw her,

a true beauty for sure.

Raven black hair

and flashing brown eyes,

she came to him –

with a radiant smile.

They got to know one another,

sharing some tequila.

She told him that she regretted ,

the life she led in El Paso

and he was willing to move on,

as long as she was by his side.

The sat and they drank

and her laughter sounded,

like tinkling silver bells in his ear.

The more he looked,

the more his heart longed for her

and this beauty Juanita,

seemed content to be with him.

Then the door of the saloon,

burst open with a loud bang.

There stood a man,

with a mean look in his eye.

He walked on over

and he realized that his dream,

had ended,

perhaps even his life.

He searched Juanita’s eyes,

to see a glimmer there.

He did see fright

and something he couldn’t identify.

Then the man with the Mexican hat,

told him that Juanita was his woman.

As much as he felt that something wasn’t right,

he didn’t want to fight

and so he got up,

faced the man

and apologized for taking up Juanita’s time.

It surprised him that he could pass by

but then the man followed him outside.

He told him to leave town

and that he didn’t want to see him anymore.

Juanita had tears in her eyes,

with a shrug of his shoulders,

he turned and started walking away.

That was when he realized,

he had no wallet

and when he turned to confront them again,

he saw Juanita’s arms wrapped around the man,

laughing into his face

and he knew what a fool he’d been.

So he just walked away

and in the morning as he rode out of town.

With plenty of money,

in the satchel upon his horse,

but he cursed the day,

when he had decided,

to come to El Paso City,

for it had opened many a sore wound

and he headed for the Rio Grande.

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Rasma Raisters

I am a poet and writer. I write for many different sites online. I have two published books of poems on Amazon - Poetic Thoughts Fly and On the Wings of Love.

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