Y’all know it ain’t Dallas, it’s just the Bluebonnet Palace,
And all you need’s a longneck, forget the silver chalice.
Place for down-home country, with bulls on the side,
Watchin’ someone takin’ that ol’ eight second ride.
Grab that pretty gal and head out on the floor,
Get too drunk they’ll show you out of the door.
Two steppin’ round in circles, usin’ all the floor,
Stay right here, ‘cuz we’re gonna’ dance some more.
That openin’ band sure sounds awful good,
Swingin’ to Bob Wills , always knew they would.
Then someone hollers, “Cotton Eye Joe!”
We all line up and we’re just rarin’ to go.
“Wha’d you say?” No answer here repeat,
‘Cuz maybe that ol’ pie really ain’t that sweet.
Band takes a break, it’s time for the bulls,
Busts out a bull rider, the riggin’ he pulls.
Countin’ out eight seconds, seein’ how it goes,
Rankest bull around see the rider that he throws.
The world’s fattest clown takes a dive in the dirt,
As they pack him off, we’re hopin’ he ain’t hurt.
A bull bucks and spins, it’s a qualifyin’ ride,
It’s eighty-three points, the judges do decide.
Contest bein’ over, we head back for the floor,
The headline act will be good, we know that’s for sure.
Singer is Ed Bruce and he leaves us all quite breathless,
As he serenades us with “My First Taste of Texas”.
Gather round the stage, the dancin’ it is done,
And all of us are callin’ for just another one.
“There’s girls, there’s women and there’s ladies…”
And all the urban cowboy gets is maybes…
When it comes to leavin’, you better all watch out,
That speed trap in Selma waits for you no doubt.
When y’er down in Texas, don’t go lookin’ for a sonnet,
If you need to tap y’er toes, just head out for the Bonnet.
LDT 3/26/’21
The Bluebonnet Palace was our favorite dancehall when we lived in Texas. It is located on I-35 in Selma, just north of San Antonio. The town of Selma was a notorious speed trap. In 1986, Steve Earle immortalized Selma in his song, Guitar Town. He sang, “There’s a speed trap ahead in Selma town, but no local yokel’s gonna’ shut me down…” Had he ever performed it live at the bluebonnet, there would have been a riot!
Link to more poems and stories: azrockdodger.com
Outlaws, Outrages and Outright Lies 