The Cowboy poem was in high demand back in the old west. There was not much to do back then, so travels were made up of song, dance and poetry. Below is an example of poetry that was written long before our time.
“Ten Thousand Cattle Straying”

Ten thousand cattle straying,
As rangers sang of old;
The warm chinook’s delaying,
The aspen shake with cold.
Ten thousand herds are passing,
So pass the golden years;
Behind us clouds are massing,
Like the last of the old frontiers.

It is poems like these that made the long day bearable and the job a little easier. It was not uncommon for a cowboy to put a poem like this to song. Many would carry some sort of instrument with them.

Guitars would often be pulled out of their belongings for a night of song and poetry around the campfire. Harmonicas  were also a instrument of choice. At times someone might be carrying a fiddle, while others would choose just to sing along and clap. Scenes like this were common in the old west. Read the rest of this entry