A cowboy, sitting in a saloon, (talking politics that applied to either
side) quoted Mark Twain – said to the barkeep, with a sigh: “Truth’s
got no defense against a fool who’s set on believin’ a lie.”
The barkeep replied, as he poured another whiskey, “Now that ain’t
somethin’ ya learn in school, but” he continued, “I gotta’ tell ya’–
nothin’ much is changed since Mr. Twain was livin.’ What’s happnin’
ta’day, ain’t no different than what went on yesterday: coyotes and
cowboys still howl at the moon and fools still believe the foulest of lies.”
“And this fella’ Freud,” the cowboy added, as he downed another drink,
“he’s a real expert on how humans behave. He’s high flutin’, got too
much wobblin’ jaw and too much mustard, but I’ll giv’um an “A” for
his advice about life (even if they say there’s no proof that he said it):
“Before you diagnose yourself with despair or low self-esteem and before
you take anybody’s advice, take a drink, look around with a squinty eye,
and make damn sure you’re not surrounded by “plastered” assholes.”
Patricia Williams lives in the Wisconsin woods, with wildcats and turkeys and bears (O my!!) eight miles from a village of nine-hundred and 25 from anything larger. She began writing poetry after retiring from thirty-plus years of teaching art and design.