Cowboys and Human Beings

Geronimo was not a good "Indian"
He could not conform to the new image
Or fit the template that the social architects had prescribed
He was unwilling to master the art of fetching the bone
And then delivering it with a smile
As he danced the ceremonial dance for tourists
On their way next door to visit Uncle Tom's Cabin

Geronimo was not a good Indian
And so he decided it was easier to become a man
Instead of a caricature fashioned from wood selling cigars
Pretending to be real in a slick automobile
In a country pretending to be generous and kind

For kindness is a friendliness
A brother to compassion
Common to men of good will
But unknown to land speculators seeking soft targets
Treasure maps leading to Wall Street, Las Vegas
And the Walmart in Tonopah
Painted upon the faces of the Piipash and the Zuni
Branded upon the backs of the Chiricahua,Navajo,and the Hopi

Geronimo was not a good Indian
And so he decided it was better to die
Than to be reborn a slave to a false democracy
Better to be a prisoner of war
Than a prisoner of shame

I have always loved the music of Willie Nelson
But my heroes have always been Human Beings
When I was a little boy
We used to play "Cowboys and Human Beings"
The Human Beings always won