Pat O'Cotter

This Land is the orphan kiddie Of the group with their stars in the Flag, And it's looked on Outside as an alien,

I've tramped across her endless miles of tundra, I've rafted all her rapid flowing streams, She's kept me on the hummer,

The home of the tin can and dog, A waste of snow, ice, and moss. The graveyard of ambitions,

The China Coast's a dumping ground And the South Sea gets its share Of the kind of men that don't make good

As long as lure o' placer gold Brings North the best ye breed, As long as tales of camps and trails

(A Steal from Kipling) If you can hit the trail in zero weather And laugh at frozen hand, or foot or face;

Looking for placer pangar, Loafing about in the hills, Getting your grub with a rifle,

A man that's spent years knocking round "out in front" Has most usually had lots of pals-- He's mixed up with pardners at various times

For a thousand years the Devil crouched On the white hot flags of hell: For a thousand years the Devil cursed

When the stars from the skies have fallen And the smoke of the world's cleared away; When Saint Peter marks "30" in Life's Book

As one who lays aside a task, where one has ruled alone, I lay aside the crown of hell, and give to you my throne; As one who feels his race is run, whose day is of the past,

Where the ragged, snow-capped saw tooth Cuts the azure of the sky And watches o'er the lonely land

He was born far east of the Rockies Of a pet in society's van; A wine-soaked daughter of pleasure

My trade was old when the world was new, Ere the pyramids rose by the Nile Men quitted their wives, and gave me their goods

The dream of the white man ever goes out To the fight that can never be won, And ever he plans to do the things

Some sigh for the breath of the desert Where the stifling heat waves blow; Some pant for the trackless tundra

While all Europe is a shambles And the whole world is at war, And half the land the sun shines on

Along in early spring time, as the sun starts swinging North To linger with the land it loves, and violets peep forth, When the water starts to running thru the riffle blocks at noon

Why is it Alaskans all come back When they've quit this land for good? Why is it that no man stays away