That Old Goat Smell.

[thestoryteller]

THAT OLD GOAT SMELL

In ev'ry outback property there's pets of every kind;
some cats and dogs and lambs and calves; a few that come to mind.
Though Jim he had a special pet, his favourite you could tell;
'twas black and brown, a dash of white; a crazy goat named Smell.

His old mate Smell liked hanging 'round with all the station dogs
and chasing cats and lying down inside the hollow logs.
When Uncle Jim went mustering and took his dogs as well,
most always trailing close behind was, you guessed, good old Smell.

No one with any kind of brains parked near the homestead site
as Smell would jump upon their car and eat most things in sight.
Though one day Uncle Jim forgot and left a window down
and Smell soon cleaned up everything left lying all around.

One morning while we slept inside there was a dreadful sound
which led us to believe the roof was crashing to the ground.
Jim's goat had climbed onto the thing and caused the awful din,
but old Jim he just loved the beast and soon forgave Smell's sin.

Then there's the time old Smell fell ill and Jim thought he would die.
In fact it bought a tear drop to the corner of his eye.
A thought then flashed through old Jim's mind; he'd take Smell to the Vet.
There might be just a chance he thought to save the old goat yet.

They opened up old Smell's insides to see what they could find,
when yards of plastic came on out, which really blew Jim's mind.
Smell ate the lining so it seems around the silo wall.
"You dopey goat!" exclaimed old Jim, "'twas nearly your downfall."

Smell lived to be a good old age, but fin'lly passed away.
It broke Jim's heart to see him go that cold, wet, winters day.
I must admit the rest of us did not miss him at all,
though never said a thing to Jim; we never had the gall.

© Merv Webster

From the book Tales of Uncle Jim.