His is one of the West’s most enduring tales,
long after the man himself is gone.
History has a way of blending truth and myth
so our heroes will always live on.
Wyatt Earp has been glorified,
a legend of America’s past.
But trying to find the real man in the myth
might reveal the truth at last.
He had the same faults as you or I.
He had his share of adventure and betrayal.
Was he a hero or a man with flaws?
It depends on who tells the tale.
In his own words, some past deeds caused remorse,
poor judgment or petty crime.
He was embarrassed by all the acclaim and esteem
somehow softened by re-telling and time.
But he played the hand that he was dealt,
and found his own way to fit in and belong.
He hoped that his life had some value and worth
and the right choices out-numbered the wrong.
Would Wyatt have changed his life if given the choice?
Did he regret the winding path that he chose?
I think at the end he wondered, “What might have been,”
since his last words were, “Suppose, suppose.”