Old people remember December 7,
I don't even though I was branded
like a stray calf, Don't Fence Me In,
song on our lips later
when we angled to contain 
sheep-herding Russians,
stuffed our brand new stuffing
in ship and shore containers,
peddled store-bought turkeys
to the hungry world. Cowboys
and cattle from Texas to Alaska,
sent Union Pacific into space,
never neglecting, but never forgot
Butch Cassidy in Central America,
fruit, coffee and cows all the way
to Argentina, American gauchos and
good friends fought rustlers and
horse thieves, helped good folks
of Chile, the good folks of El Salvador,
I can't even remember how the cowboys
brought down the Sandinistas,
something about a truck drivers' strike
after years and years of raids -
More sheepherders and farmers trying
to steal  our grazing land.

Not to mention the empire of black gold,
the King Ranch in the Middle East,
cowboys with skull caps,
just like Texas,
Sam Houston against all those Mexicans
(who were descended from Spain
who got their looks from North Africa
so you get the connection.)
Our oil, our oil.

Now we have a new date
to brand on kids' behinds,
another Alamo.
You better believe that blood
will mix with oil in Caesar's salad.
September 11 - a familiar ring.