COWBOY POETRY: A Place for Everyone

Bryce Angell is a cowboy poet. Angell was raised on a farm/ranch in the St. Anthony, Idaho area with approximately 75 head of horses. Horses remain an important part of Angell's life. Angell shares his poetry with Cache Valley Daily every Friday.

It was summer of my sixteenth year.    We’d rounded up the mules.  Our wranglers worked from dawn to dusk.  One said, “We must be fools.”

Each wrangler had his job to do.   He’d pack up every day, five mules and a saddle horse, and head out on his way.

It took a man who knew the job and someone who had guts.  There was no time to dawdle, dang sure could not be a klutz.

Each year my father hired a city dude right out of town.  “It’s a gamble, but I know we’ll win.  No man has let us down.”

Well, Albert was the one he chose, a soft and pudgy guy.  Had my father really picked this wimp?  You had to wonder why.

Albert was a timid fellow; cowboys should be bold.  Could Albert muster courage?  He sure did not fit the mold.

He caught his horse one early morning, but those times were few.  Another horse snuck up on him; he whirled and hollered, “Shoo!”

And then a mule reached back at him and bit him on the butt.  He jumped and yelled, “That mule’s gone mad!”  He sounded like a nut.

So, the wranglers saddled up his horse.   Still, Albert was afraid.  He never put his saddle on, so there his saddle laid.

The cowboys were a kinder breed.  They helped him every morn.  But kindness only goes so far.  His welcome, he’d outworn.

Was Albert really headed home?  He’d be one for the book.  But then Dad said, “Jeb’s drunk and gone.  Looks like we’re out a cook.”

Well, Albert’s eyes came right alive.  “Hey! Cooking I can do.  Give me a stove and frying pan.  I’ll feed this hungry crew.”

Breakfast was at six a.m.   Flapjacks a golden brown; hot syrup mixed with eggs and bacon, coffee swirling down.

One cowboy hollered, “Albert it’s for dang sure you can cook. You proved you weren’t no cowboy.  Glad you got a second look.”

My father’s years had proved him wise.  He’d gambled, then he won.   And so, I learned a lesson.   There’s a place for everyone.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

I agree to these terms.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.