Through poetry, music, craft, and conversation, we celebrate and amplify the voices, traditions, and stories of the American West.
Sometimes writing a cowboy poem comes “like it was delivered via a magic carpet,” but other times the writing drags on and on for months or years. This month, the cowboy poets talk about the time it takes them to write poems as they answer this question posed by The Deadline Drifter, “What was the quickest poem you ever wrote? Which one took the longest, and how long did it take to finish?”
Rodeo season is in full swing. And while not every cowboy poet rodeos, the feats that take place in arenas across time and space have inspired this bunch of cowboy poets to reminisce on their various rodeo experiences. Whether in the announcer’s booth, in the grandstands, or on a bull, the cowboy poets have stories to tell in rhyme and meter as they answer this month’s question, “Have you ever rodeoed? If so, did the experience inspire a poem? (Or, do you have a favorite rodeo poem?)”
Jordan Wright helped shape the last three Gatherings through food, friendship, and thoughtful creativity. A beloved member of the Elko community, Jordan brought people together everywhere he went, leaving behind laughter, connection, and a lasting mark on all of us.
Even if the lines of a memorized poem begin to fade, the feeling of the poem persists. This month, we ask the cowboy poets a question posed by a nurturer of storytelling and rhyme, Mother Goose, “What was the first poem you committed to memory, cowboy or otherwise, and why has it stayed with you?”
The first markers of spring are meaningful when you work close to the land. This month, as we inch closer to greener pastures and longer days, the cowboy poets share spring-inspired poems as varied as the season itself as they answer this question, “What’s a spring moment on the ranch that has stayed with you long enough to become a poem?”
Photos by Jessica Brandi Lifland, Marla Aufmuth, and Ian Hallagan
After more than a decade of welcoming members, supporting the Gathering, and helping steward the mission of the Western Folklife Center, Development Manager & Membership Director Carolyn Trainor is retiring. Read more about Carolyn’s deep commitment to the stories and communities of the American West, and the kindness and care she brought to every part of her work.