The beast took a step and hesitated.
Its head swayed to the open range
Then back to the gates
From which dust rose
Over the din of squeals and shouts.
The man cussed
Slapped the steer on the nose.
It blinked back dully.
The man kept on hitting
And at last the beast snorted and reared
Lowering its great horned head.
It scraped its hooves and charged the man
Sending him sprawling in the dirt.
The man slowly got to his feet
Dizzy, bruised, winded but unhurt
Collected his jacket
And waved it at the animal
Called it sneery names.
A crowd gathered in a hurry.
Handlers, punchers, checkers
Youngsters, old geezers
Gum-chewing waitresses
Cowboys with bow legs
To witness an historic, silly-serious contest
Between a fat grain-fed steer
Hardly sturdy or steady enough
To carry him from trough to trough.