Wednesday, August 2, 2023

An Ode to Buffalo Joe


Well I left Boston one sunny day about a quarter to ten

Didn’t know where I should go, wish I knew much more back then

I caught the greyhound goin’ west, I pulled my hat down low

Closed my eyes and when I woke up, there was snow on my window


I asked the driver “Where are we, man?” thinkin’ he should know

I reached down in, pulled my pockets out, there was nothin’ much to show

He just frowned, ushered me out and said ‘The streets of Buffalo”

Well the wind up there will blow straight through your body and your soul


I found shelter in an alley downtown underneath a cardboard box

Shivered all night, I could barely feel the toes within my socks

When mornin’ came I made up my mind to get out of Buffalo

I hitched a ride to Orchard Park where they was puttin’ on a show


Buffalo Bills they called themselves, I had seen them on TV

A history of passionate fans, now one of them was me

I snuck in behind a vendor cart, found my way out to the stands

Fans were stompin’ on the metal floor, they had mittens on their hands


Nearly got my eye poked out by a hat with pointed horns

I was lucky just to find a place to sit and watch the show

The big ‘ol man I sat beside introduced himself as Joe

I joked “Is that Cribbs or Ferguson?”, he said “DeLamielleure”


As gregarious and humble as any man I’d ever known

He told me of his playin’ days, of the hall of fame, and more

They won the game, the crowd went wild, the rest you don’t need to know

But I’ll never forget those frozen stands where I met Buffalo Joe


Buffalo Joe stood six foot three with muscles made of brick

Pavin’ the way for running backs, he’d bore holes three feet thick

With McKenzie on the other side they weighed half a thousand pounds

Shove ‘em back now Buffalo Joe, pathways for touchdowns


Go, go, Buffalo Joe, the perennial All-Pro

Number sixty-eight on his jersey, the number one guy I know

Go, go, Buffalo Joe, I’d like to thank you man

For bein’ kind, I hope you know I’ll always be a fan


By Royce Waxenfelter

6/2/23


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