Maybe

When I woke this morning I found, to my chagrin

My beautiful coal black stallion had broken his rein and ran.

My nemesis, Jim came sauntering in, he knew my horse was loose

He swaggered and sniggered, I knew what he figured

He just loved to tighten the noose.

He said, “you’re havin some bad luck pal”

“You should take it on the chin, like me”

I looked him straight in the eye

and with a hint of a smile,  said,

“Well.  Maybe.”

–

Just before noon, a familiar bray

As my stallion came trotting home.

A dappled mare whinneyed on his left flank,

On his right stood a strapping blue roan.

Jim kinda stared, the roan’s nostrils flared,

“You’re luck’s changed,” he said, smiling falsely,

Again, I fixed him hard in the eye

and  replied,

“Well. Maybe.”

–

When the sun rose high to the centre of the sky

my son came by, just to say hi…

And he saw my two new steeds.

He couldn’t resist a ride on that roan

But the horse got spooked and my son was thrown,

cracked his head and broke both knees.

Jim said, “Oh dear, oh dearie, dearie me

You’ve had some more bad luck I  see.”

I looked at Jim, then at my boy and said,

“Well. Maybe.”

–

With the crimson dusk, as I swept my floor,

There came a banging on my front door.

Uniformed soldiers were standing there,

Armed with menace and icy stare

Said they needed my boy for the war.

They saw my son all busted up

For sure they couldn’t take him

But they wouldn’t say “no”

and  as I watched them go,

I felt sorry for poor old Jim.