Why Do Cowboys Write Poetry That Rhymes?

Poetry That Rhymes Preferred by Cowboys by Stephen Bly

Most all cowboys write poetry that rhymes. It’s not that cowboys are opposed to blank verse or free verse. But most poems they compose are done on horseback without pencil, paper or computer screen to record the flow of ideas. Much easier for him or her to memorize poetry that rhymes.

I didn’t write my cowboy poetry that rhymes on horseback. But ninety-nine percent of my poems were created while driving my pickup down some lonesome western road. On-the-go poetry, you might call it.

Some of my cowboy poems were found within the pages of my western novels. Lots of fiction writers like found poems that come right out of their stories.

Found poetry … 

Found poetry is a type of poem created by taking words, phrases, and sometimes whole passages from other sources and forming them as either poetry that rhymes or free verse or blank verse by making changes in spacing and lines, or by adding or deleting text, and producing a different format and meaning. (from Wikipedia)

A type of found poetry is like the cowboy rhyming poem below from Sweet Carolina, Book 1 of Heroines of the Golden West Series. Sweet Carolina was the first western novel I wrote from a woman’s point of view. After that, I wrote a lot of other ladies’ stories. Western romance most call it.

Carolina of Cantrell

Wasn’t very much there,

not a street nor a square,

when Carolina first rode into town.

Jist a store without paint,

and a drunk, not a saint,

the only one to show her around.

But she changed all that,

when she yanked off her hat,

and rolled up her sleeves for to work.

With sweat and a song,

and faith always strong,

she wrestled the place from that jerk.

With a tear and a cry,

and help from July,

success trickled into the store.

Then a man from the east,

in her past quite the beast,

tried to ruin her life once more.

In the middle of her strife,

ridin’ into her life,

on a tired horse came a man who was tall.

He had a heart wild to tame,

Ranahan was his name,

with no idea into love she would fall.

His trust in Jesus strong,

a sense of right and wrong,

he stood by her side in the fight.

Then with words soft and meek,

her love he did seek,

and Carolina was convinced he was right.

When she finally had her pick,

they got married really quick.

They didn’t think it through, critics say.

But they had a full quiver,

along the Yellowstone River,

and their legend lives on to this day.

Carolina Cantrell Parke,

came west on a lark,

stayed to do what she thought best.

With a good man by her side,

and a faith she couldn’t hide,

a true Heroine of the Golden West.

Copyright©2001

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Other western romance novels in The Heroines of the Golden West Series include The Marquesa and Miss Fontenot. Find them here: WESTERN ROMANCE  

Other western romance novels with women protagonists by Stephen Bly include The Austin-Stoner Files, The Old California Series, The Belles of Lordsburg Series, The Homestead Series, and The Horse Dreams Series. Find them at the Bly Books website bookstore: BLYBOOKS BOOKSTORE  

Dozens of other cowboy poetry that rhymes by Stephen Bly come from the collection “When The Cowboys Come To Town” available in paperback, hanging calendar type style, eBook Kindle, or in audio CD or casette tape. Check it out here: COWBOY POETRY

Or here WINNING THE WEST

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