Mr Shockley backs his Ford pickup

up to the dock and hands us his feed ticket.

We load him out with a couple salt blocks

and half a ton of bean meal and another

half a ton of sweet feed, which is just about

all that old Ford will hold. He says, "you boys

workin’ hard or hardly workin’?" I’d be lyin’

if I said we hadn’t heard that one before.

He says to Colt, "you did a real fine job
of ridin’ them bulls Friday night." 

Colt’s modest by nature and dips his head

and says somethin’ low under his breath.