The Cowpoke
by Bill Lowman
Listen to Poem
read poem
The Cowpoke
There’s a breed on the loose,
That sticks out like a sore thumb.
They’re strong willed, they’re bull headed,
And sometimes accused as intellectually dumb.
But let me tell you my friends,
Nothings farther from the truth.
For a cowboy is a genius,
Although somewhat socially uncouth.
There’s not a creature on Earth,
That comes close to compare,
To the arts of a cowpoke,
In times of deep despair.
For when the chips are down,
He’s the one that will survive.
“Improvising” is the working theme,
Where a cowboy will thrive.
For there’s not another species on Earth,
Past – future – or now,
That will spend a lifetime tryin’,
To outsmart a damned old cow.
© Bill Lowman
BILL LOWMAN was raised on his parent’s cow-calf outfit in the western badlands of North Dakota. He is an accomplished visual artist, performing artist and author, eloquently bringing the seasons and stories of life as a Dakota rancher to audiences. Lowman has written and illustrated five books of cowboy humor and poetry as well as a book of cowboy cartoons. He founded the Dakota Cowboy Poetry Gathering in 1987, which is still going strong in Medora, North Dakota.