Bryce Angell is a cowboy poet. Angell was raised on a farm/ranch in the St. Anthony, Idaho area with approximately 75 head of horses. Horses remain an important part of Angell’s life.
Angell shares his poetry with Cache Valley Daily every Friday.
My wife gave me a challenge, last year on New Year’s Eve, to welcome in a brand new year. I must have been naïve.
‘Cuz I usually go to bed the same time chickens do at night. So for me to stay up late at night was really going to bite.
I hoped to stay awake by drinking caffeinated drinks; and drove on down to Wal Mart for my favorite smokie links.
My wife bought cheese and crackers and we made her onion dip. Was I ready for the evening? I had to get a grip.
It was only four more hours that I’d need to stay awake. But my eyes were getting sleepy. How much more could I take?
So at nine o’clock I ate the smokies, crackers and the cheese. Then I drank down all the soda pop. Those drinks were just a tease.
At ten o’clock my eyelids felt like they should go to sleep. I realized this challenge was a little bit too steep.
At eleven sharp I closed my eyes to get a wink or two. It seems those winks turned out to be a little more than few.
I thought I heard my wife say, “Hon it’s almost twelve o’clock.” I swear it felt like dreaming. I was sleeping like a rock.
When I woke and looked around the room, I’d somehow climbed in bed. And then I heard my wife exclaim, “Good morning sleepy head.”
How does a husband live it down? A wife just seems to know. She’d warned me not to close my eyes. Now she’s saying, “Told you so.”
I hope I stop accepting every challenge from my wife. I know I should resist. It always seems to cause me strife.
So next year when it’s New Year’s Eve, it won’t be such a shock. There’ll be no celebrating and in bed at eight o’clock.