To be a cowboy, in the traditional sense, is to be close to the land — to appreciate the first light of morning from the saddle; to camp under the glow of the Milky Way; to understand the ways of cattle and horses; to feel the pull of the wide-open range.

And if you're thinking all this sounds quite poetic, you've hit on another aspect of the cowboy experience. Cowboy poetry is an oral tradition springing from the American trail-driving days of the 1870s, when cowboys drove cattle from the South to railheads in the Midwest. It's typically rhymed, metered and narrative, and reflects aspects of Western life. Many cowboy poems are funny — a cowboy getting thrown from a fence or dragged pantsless across a field by a feisty mother cow, or an ode to the usefulness and charm of the mule.

In the tale of “Purt Near Perkins,” the underachieving cowboy “purt near” saves the day. Some are downright heartbreaking — tales of having to sell the family ranch or losing your livelihood after a riding accident. Many others are awe-inspiring, painting pictures of the star-filled sky, the red dirt of the trail, the seemingly endless fields of grass, the beautiful connection between people, land and animals.

The tradition is intertwined with cowboy music. In fact, that's part of how it started. Out on the range, cowboys would often sing to their herds. “Singing and soothing the cattle was one of the most important jobs in open country,” says cowboy poet Hal Cannon.

They'd write lyrics and fit them to folk melodies, or make up their own songs. These days, when cowboy poets get together, their gatherings often feature both poetry and song.

When poets gather

Each February, sure as the vultures circle in the desert sky, hundreds of cowboy poets descend upon the West Texas town of Alpine for the annual Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering, which I attended this year. The crowd is a sea of felt hats and Wranglers, and the event draws poets and musicians from places where cowboy culture runs deep — Texas, of course, but also Wyoming, Montana, Canada and even Australia. The poets tell stories of cowboy life, from toiling in the everyday grind of ranch work to herding cattle across the vast expanses of the West along the Chisholm and Goodnight-Loving trails.

There are plenty of working cowboys around the world today, but a lot has changed since the first cowboy poets wrote their verse. Gone are many of the open ranges where cowboys once drove their cattle; some cowboy poems are underlain by a feeling of good old days, gone forever. But others, like those of Albertan poet Doris Daley, show the authentic lives of Western people today.

“If you go to several cowboy poetry gatherings throughout the West, you will hear a whole bunch of voices,” says Daley. “Of course, none of us are riding the trail from Brewster County up to Ogallala, Nebraska. None of us are doing that. But you'll hear voices from horse farriers, ranchers' wives, rodeo cowboys, farmers, ranchers, day hands. We're kind of doing what [the original cowboy poets] did 140 years ago; in the same way that those boys reflected their world, we're reflecting our world.”

On my last day at the Cowboy Poetry Gathering this year, I stopped by to watch the winners of the Youth Poetry Contest. The poems were beautiful, funny and touching.

“There are becoming fewer and fewer ranchers and cowboys as it gets harder to make a living in this industry,” says Elizabeth Baize, who runs the youth poetry contest. “I am so honored to be a part of giving the young people [in this community] a place to develop and then share their talents with others … a place where they can share some of their life experiences. Many of the winners may not have experienced it themselves, but we challenge them to go talk to people who have, to record other people's stories and to have an appreciation for their heritage.”

Attend a cowboy poetry event

Texas State Parks keep the tradition of cowboy poetry alive with cowboy campfires at state parks. Lake Mineral Wells regularly features park ranger and cowboy poet David Owens. Find an event near you by visiting tpwd.texas.gov/calendar.

For a more immersive experience, attend the upcoming Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Alpine, Feb. 20-25, 2025. See schedule at lonestarcowboypoetry.com.

The National Cowboy Poetry
Gathering takes place each winter in Elko, Nevada. It features many familiar faces from the Lone Star Gathering and more. Find ticket information at nationalcowboypoetrygathering.org.

Youth Poetry Winners

“A Long Day's Work”
By Blakely Weaver
LEVEL 2 (Grades 3-4)

Before the Sun has made its rise
There's a group of rugged guys
Gearing up for a long day's work
They're heading out
with their dog named Turk.

It's time to check the Hereford cattle
They saddle up the horse they'll straddle
They check to see if calves were born
I see a calf and it has a thorn.

So they are heading in
With their dog named Turk
After a long day's work.

“This is the Life of a Mustang”
By Margaret Alvis
LEVEL 4 (Grades 7-8)

The sun beats down on shining backs,
sweating from fleeing the danger.
The danger was men,
it had always been,
with their ropes and pen.
And this is the life of a mustang.

The moon smiles down on sleeping foals,
their mothers awake and alert.
The herd is asleep,
though still on their feet —
feet, sturdy and fleet.
And this is the life of a mustang.

The rain sweeps down, settling the dust
raised by the galloping hooves
of foals on a spree,
happy and free,
lovely to see.
And this is the life of a mustang.

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