The MMan's - A Mark in Time

February 07, 2010 Super Bowl Sunday

I’ve a good friend back on the rez who used to be very abusive to people at times. It didn’t matter who they were really, he verbally abused just about everyone. Other times he’d have a little Boy Scout streak and want to help save the world. The opposites were determined not all but sometimes by how much alcohol he would consume and where he would be when consuming it.

While riding up one of the streets on the rez that ran parallel to Main Street he asked mme why he couldn’t get a job. After all, he said, he probably knows construction better than most people around; so why won’t anyone hire him?

I looked at him in such a way as to say, what are you kiddin’ mme, pal? Then I said, “You KNOW why bud, you’re not too easy to get along with, especially with anyone who at the time is your boss. Strangers? Friends? Same story.

You won’t listen because you think you know better and no one can tell you any different. You show up on time alright but to tell you the truth, your attitude and getting along with any or all bosses or with people in general stinks; that answer your question? ‘Sides, we’re in a small town, aren’t we? They all know you.”

“Yeah well, I guess you may be right, MMick,” was his reply. He continued the conversation describing several scenes of how he thought he was right to act like he did and so forth until I stopped him in mid sentence and said, “You know mman, I’d like to write a song about you. You deserve a song that’s for sure.”

“First of all,” I continued, “I think you’re a great dude if you want to be; you know a lot about a ton of things; you can ride a horse into the ground and you can work the butt off of anyone who tries to keep up with you. You’ve got a great heart…at least most times. The exception is when you’re not sober.

Maybe you’d like to think about how much of a good influence you can have on the kids around here if you’d only smarten up; hold your tongue if you’re not the boss; maybe try to control your drinking; the last issue maybe the most important one; OK, how’s that so far for starters?” “…pretty good start,” he said.

The guy was really a good guy in mmy opinion; a tough cowboy who just couldn’t handle some things but he was great in many respects. One day he asked if I would show him how to start a garden. He’s seen a few photos of the green thumb and we discussed the subject a few times; yeah, sure was the reply.

After measuring out a big empty plot he toiled with the soil. The rez soil everyone knows as gumbo; a heavy mixture of a lot of clay and little dirt. Needless to say all of what was needed we added until it was so soft and beautiful it was a shame to just plant grass; which is what he didn’t do luckily.

He planted corn, squash, tons of tomatoes, peppers, beans of several varieties, lettuce, carrots, onions; I mean the guy just went bonkers on every seed he could get his hands on. He wanted to have a good lunch without going in the house. If he wanted to sleep next to his plants I bet he would every night if it didn’t rain.

The guy loved working hard at it and did the best he could to have a lush harvest. Well, don’t you know; of course harvest time came and his garden was a garden of Eden. Food everywhere we looked. It was definitely his baby alright.

Next thing we knew he just gave most everything away. He was so proud of what he grew for the first time that he walked to houses of people he knew and some he didn’t; just handing them bags of the stuff; one of the two restaurants in town as well. Every time with a smile. Like I said, the guy has a big heart.

I really loved the guy and still do. I arrived home one day after listening to one of his bag drop off’s surprises and began to write words that I thought would turn into a song about him. Instead I ended up writing something else which is at the end of this day’s blog. Obviously, he was the inspiration for most of it.

Amazingly enough the day I wrote the 48 or so lines of words, they didn’t end up being a song at all; least not yet. When thinking of things around the subject, the words just came out of the computer keyboard like running water. Most of which didn’t concern him personally. Once on the roll it just wouldn’t stop.

One line after the next, no pauses in between just ended up being something else; about men in general and their relation to women and vice versa. That’s the way it goes at times. Think about one thing and something else hitches a ride to eventually take over the whole exercise; free association or however that works.

A few hours or so later while searching on the net I found out for the first time ever that it was ‘International Women’s Day!’ Who’da thunk it, eh? Bet many of you out there especially U.S. women have never heard of it; least that’s been the consensus so far when conducting an accounting through a personal experience.

Amazingly enough other countries are more up on this then the U.S. is; Imagine that. The actual date is set to be annually on March 8th if anyone’s interested. Here’s the home page of URL: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/ . Here’s the URL that gives the history of everything you might like to know: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp … pretty interesting stuff.

In any case just to be sure before putting mmyself on the chopping block; years ago when this was composed as well as ever since and along the way; not that long ago again but in many different places; N.O.W. friends have read this as sort of a precaution; primarily I’d like to be around to celebrate the next birthday.

Good luck reading or maybe even figuring out this one. Written too long ago I don’t really want to change it or update it so to speak; even I have a difficult time with it; so if that tells you anything, you may not want to bother. I’d hope otherwise. It’s like one of those tongue twister - puzzle things; fun to write but….

For those of you who have reached the age of yes you can, you might like to take it slower with a wider glass of whine while drinking in the efforts so to speak. Or you might like to print it for your next pen the tale on the done key. In any case one would hope you have time for and maybe a little fun with:

The Man’s – A Mark in Time

the man's so brave, the man's so bold
the man's so tough, the man's so cold
the man's not easy…
"Get along with you man's!"
the man's got you shakin'?
You 'fraid 'a him too? Man!
the man's a digger,
of diggers sweats, and diggers bones.
the man's a talker,
of talkers talks, 'n talks tomes.
the man's all gritty,
of dirt 'n such mans things.
the man's a dreamer.
Whose dreamin' dreams takes wings?
the man's the best…
'When man's let sleepin', ' Say some.
the man's man ain't smart?
Those man's man ain't dumb.
the man's all shootin' man's,
and straight from man's man hip.
the man's takes nuttin' man,
" No nuttin' ma'ms!" Mans lip!
the man's will ride 'em man!
When all other man's thinks can't.
the man's hard hide 'n man!
Hard ridin' man's, and ma'ms bams!
the man's a rootin' man,
a tootin' man's 'o man's cattle.
the man's a champ 'a man's spurs,
a ridin' man's, 'n man's saddle.
the man's a wonder of earth,
'n them thar - "Them hills!'
the man's hard knocks, 'n bad spills,
'n CRUSH!! A bad man's chills!
the man's all up 'n up 'n do it up
'n do it up 'n up agin'!
the man's will take it man,
'n take it ma'm! Man's grins.
the man's a rider man's of hard's up's
'n hard's man's downs.
the man's a drinkin' man's.
That man's no thinkin' man's! Drinkin' clowns!
the man's is a cruel man's…
The man's when this 'a thata way.
the man's when other man's,
the kinder man's, ma'ms stay.
the man's can match 'em man!
Of bulls, 'n ride 'em broncs, 'n cows too!
the man's all hard horses,
man's bucks, broncs, and WOWS! WHEW!
the man's can ride 'em man!
They shakes 'em man's, then shuddas!
the man's eight seconds time!
" Like 'n no man's!" Man's uttas!
the man's a hunter man!
A bunter not - man's, He!
the man's home runs hits?
Man's the sparks, 'n barbs, 'n carp, 'n trees.
the man's as kind,
and as kind as kind can be matters!
the man's no sinner man's,
so show 'er man's, 'Sooo badders!'.
the man's all smiles man.
The man's all jokin' plenty.
the man's," Broke too man!"
but gives man's last penny.
the man's don't mind doll minds,
"Dull minds no matter."
the man's hurts to man's?
The man's man - i's sadder.
the man's some women know.
Know women no man's land.
the man's some women love.
Other women love? No ma'm!
the man's loves sportin,' man!
The man's birds - "Let the man's be!"
the man's can catch 'em all man!
Wolves'n bucks'n buck shots these.
the man's some lonely man's
but who isn't man's man, Yo'!
the man's a friend 'a man's,
'n yes the man's a man's bro'
the man's all these man's!
Ask the man's," What's man's doin'?"
the man's, "Just waitin' man!"
The man's man just brewin'?"
the man's all hard,
'n best as man's man knows how!
the man's quest, "What's doin' ma'm's?
Let's duet' ma'm! Man's wow!"
the man's a smoker man's.
" Mo' smokin' man? " A man's crust?
the man's 'a livin' hard man's,
" livin' hard ma'm's,”
As livid hard man's must!"