Red Boots

I’m puttin’ my red boots, red boots, red boots on—
Puttin' on my red boots and goin' to town.

Gonna' buy myself a puppy, eyes big and brown..

Buy yourself a puppy with your red boots on?

Red boots, red boots, red boots on---

Puttin' on my red boots and goin' to town

Gonna' buy myself a cookie, crunchy and round.

Buy yourself a cookie with your red boots on?

Red boots, red boots, red boots on---

Puttin' on my red boots and goin' to town
Gonna' buy myself a bunny, soft as down.

Buy yourself a bunny with your red boots on?

Red boots, red boots, red boots on—

THEN

Mama said, “No, you can’t go to town 
With your red boots on. 

No puppy, no cookie, no bunny, no town. 

You are stayin’  home with your red boots, red boots, red boots.

You are stayin’ home with your red boots off."

For my grandchildren 

Red Boots by Susan E. Kane for her grandchildren

I’m puttin’ on my red boots, red boots, red boots on—

Puttin' on my red boots and goin' to town.

Gonna' buy myself a puppy, eyes big and brown..

Buy yourself a puppy with your red boots on?

Red boots, red boots, red boots on---

Puttin' on my red boots and goin' to town

Gonna' buy myself a cookie, crunchy and round.

Buy yourself a cookie with your red boots on?

Red boots, red boots, red boots on---

Puttin' on my red boots and goin' to town
Gonna' buy myself a bunny, soft as down.

Buy yourself a bunny with your red boots on?

Red boots, red boots, red boots on—

THEN

Mama said, “No, you can’t go to town

With your red boots on. 

No puppy, no cookie, no bunny, no town. 

Yer stayin’ home with your red boots, red boots, red boots.

You are stayin’ home with those red boots off."

For my grandchildren by Susan E. Kane © Copyright

My Secret Desire

My brother Bill with 'Sonny'

I have always been a secret cowboy, yes.  In my mind, I am riding a white Andalusia horse across the golden hills of Santa Barbara.  I would be young again, with long chestnut hair; my horse would fly across the golden land, and we would never stop.  Yes, that is my dream.

In reality, the only ‘horses’ I have ridden with any success are on the carousel at the fair or the ponies who miserably plod around in a circle. 

My brother Bill was a real cowboy; he bought a two year old quarter horse when he was in high school. When he became an adult (well, he grew to adult size, anyway), he lived in Texas and had several horses.  He even talked like a Texan.

My brother, Bill, in 1992

I came home from college one weekend after Bill had gotten ‘Sonny’.  He asked, “Wanta ride ‘im?” Sensing no subterfuge, I eagerly climbed up, and held the reins the way I remembered from my pony-riding days.  I even make that click-click sound, the one I’d heard in all the cowboy shows ever made.

Sonny took off, and I mean he took off like a rocket.  As he headed up the road, Bill’s laughter filled the air.  I was hanging on for my very life, and he was laughing. 

When Sonny finally stopped after going a quarter mile (I swear), I jumped down, and lead the blasted animal back home.  I didn’t sit for two days. 

My red boots next to my spinning wheel, things I have collected

I will never ever ride a horse again, I think.  I don’t want to hurt something that may not heal.  So instead, I bought something that will have to substitute: red cowboy boots.

Yup, pardner.  I may never fly across the plains on my white horse, but I will strut like nobody’s business in my red cowboy boots.