FOLK COLLECTION 11: The Skaggs Foundation Cowboy Poetry Collection

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Book Title

Composer

Call #

Pages

Author

Poem Title

First Lines

Keywords

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

122

Joel Nelson

Song of the Packer

Down from the peaks and pinnacles, and up from the canyon floor, through passes and fountains of immature mountains where big-hearted rivers roar

bells, trail, art, mule, nature, timber

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

124

Joaquin Miller

Crossing the Plains

What great yoked brutes with briskets low, with wrinkled necks like buffalo, with round, brown, liquid, pleading eyes, that turned so slow and sad to you,

tears, wine, captivity, bullocks

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

125

Jack Walther

Stealing a Pig

We were at a livestock auction in a town called Jerome that is across the Idaho border, about 170 miles from home. A cow had calved last night

highway, saleyard, traffic, shame

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

127

Linda Hussa

Nor A Borrower Be

New pickup, shiny, clean pulls into the yard no hay stacked three tiers high no jumper cables or fix-it-all toolbox or handyman jack or wads of baling wire

budget, taxes, ink, failure

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

129

Vess Quinlan

Spring

A gentle agony, not really painful; It does not tear, but nibbles and complains, like a child too tired to eat. I am not frightened or confused.

survive, impatient, storms, tension

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

130

Rod McQueary

War Poems by Cowboys: White Wall

There ought to be another wall white, bright, and pretty in a grove of trees with picnic tables, dance floor, and a viet vet ragtime band.

marriage, education, reward, celebrate

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

130

Rod McQueary

War Poems by Cowboys: Sweet Dreams

the world comes crashing back wire tourniquet around your chest and skull blood pressure gauge needle pegged sitting up wild fists slinging sweat

greedy, strange, crazy, hell

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

131

Rod McQueary

War Poems by Cowboys: For Souls

Perhaps, he said, it's not a man's heart or mind that drives him down to the surging sea to straining mast. Not mind, he said, that makes him fill

reckless, forsake, sky, god, death

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

131

Bill Jones

War Poems by Cowboys: Five Days Home

My father and I sit in the shade of a chinaberry tree talk softly about the last good war. A time of ration cards and Gold Star Mothers.

pilots, cargo, hazy, whisper, news, barn

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

132

Trish O' Malley

Sagebrush Hymn

Our lady of Artemisia Desert Deity, some might question naming a plant so seldom seen in the company of trees after the Greek Goddess of the Wood.

virgin, landscape, Artemisia, desire

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

134

Linda M. Hasselstrom

Make a Hand

"Make a hand!" my father hollered when my friends came down to visit. Almost everyone I knew would come to help us,

iron, gender, casket, garbage, loan, ranch

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

136

Red Steagall

Deacon and the Dun

Ol' Deacon was a puncher, born a hundred years too late. A top hand, and he sure as hell was tough. His bed was in a corner, he had been there thirty years.

king, rim, eagle, family, saddle

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

137

Red Steagall

Hats Off to the Cowboy

The city folks think that it's over. They cowboy has outlived his time- an old worn-out relic, a thing of the past, but the truth is, he's still in his prime.

image, freedom, handshake, ethics

Brushstrokes & Balladeers: Painters and Poets of the American West

C.J. Hadley

FC 11 H-60

144

Margot Liberty

Epitaph

She never shook the stars from their appointed courses, but she loved good men, and she rode good horses.

partners, horses, stars

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

The Old Dog

The old dog lays, as an old dog will, in shade beside the house. Her four feet twitch, she whines and yips; what is she dreaming, now? Does mem'ry go to trails of the past,

coyote, wolf, love, spirits

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

Trouble Rides Double

One time I saw a fine picture: a cowboy a-sittin' his horse, his hat was pulled low and sitting below in the shade was a cow dog, of course. This ol' boy, he called with a whistle

monsters, scared, fat, saddle, tear

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

The Desert Law

I cannot change, nor would I dare, the code that guides us all, out there. The code that marks men poor or good. The measure by which men are stood to prove themselves

chased, toruble, marriage, bluff, dare, confess

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

Tennie Lamas

There's Bonds and Tony Lamas, Wilson boots and Bluchers, too. Whites and Grizzly packers and that whole durn lace-up crew.

Texas, stitches, fancy, beat

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

To Them That Think They Know It All

I do believe the time has come. I've had enough of you and listening while you rattle on 'bout what-all you can do. I'm going to set you straight now,

experience, expertise, boss, wizard, farm

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

The Home Place

He leans upon his shovel, tips his hat and wipes his brow. The heat has sucked his strength plumb gone, but 'least there's water now. More than was this morning,

habit, July, death, apart, town

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

For Barton

I've kind of got used to the common talk of the sorry state of affairs, how prices are up, the economy down and crime is 'most everywhere; Wars and famines and terrible stuff

trouble, enduring, quit, distresses

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

The Bright Side

It's twenty miles west to the highway, two dozen south to the well, fifty miles east to headquarters, and - you guessed it - ten feet to hell. It's a hundred square miles

cows, critters, neighbors, dog

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

Moving Camp

A cowboy loads his pickup truck, his saddle last to go. he pats the dog and tells his wife it's time to hit the road. Their goodbyes said and

camp, windswept, memory, soul, young, TV

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

The Mystery Of The Mule

I've been lately thinking on that hybrid critter, Mule, on why he is the way he is and does the things he'll do. And since you're sittin' handy,

donkey, nature, race, stubbornness

Backtracks Through the High, Wide and Lonesome

FC 11 A-20

G.M. Atwater

The Cowboy Situation

There's a sort of contradiction in the cowboy's situation where a man does all his work upon a horse. He's sure pleasured of his saddle and

healed, killer, God, dreams, Spring, money