Long have I known Phoebe Ann Mosey Known her since she was young A child of pure brilliance Yet she ran not her tongue At dawn we would leave our troubles behind Seeking peace in the forests of verde It was here that the beginnings we’d soon find A story of its time unheard Her mother was poor, her father deceased The family struggled to get by And after long years she was finally released From the wolves that enslaved she and I Rejoining her family and paying off their debt She continued her work near the farm By selling furs her future was set With the skill she had in her arm By applying her talent to competitive sport The best of the best soon saw That this Phoebe Ann Mosey, the one so short, Had left everyone in awe. I watched this child grow and grow In maturity, not in size, And when I looked at the girl I once knew I saw a woman in her eyes Soon we were part of a show Portraying the Old West Amazed, folks watched from every row As Phoebe and I gave our best Rising competitors soon fell away We were the best the world had seen And I must say the most memorable day Was when we performed for a queen Our life was vivid, an American dream Very close were she and I But the book of life, like a play, it seemed That it was written she was to die She received many injuries, and each took their toll She tried her best to fight back But every small thing soon caused her soul To give in to the final attack Reflecting on the past, I know this: That I was very lucky indeed And if she had been given one final wish I know it would have included me A memory for all now I am Of a woman and a legacy And this proudly say I can For I am the rifle of Annie Oakley