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Nov. 25, 2009
Back in the Saddle, Again
Most of my blogs usually have
something to do with music.
But today I’d like to turn your attention
to a specific kind of poetry.
Cowboy Poetry.
And, by golly, it turns out
that Hood
River has got its own Cowboy Poet
right under our noses. Turns out it’s Duane Lee Nelson, and he’s
been working the wordsmithing going on 10 years. And I think
that’s pretty cool.
After all, when you think
about it, songs and poems are pretty darn close. I can think of a
few country and western songs that would stand up on their own as
poems. “Cowboy Sweetheart” comes to mind. And if you really want
to “get the gist” of what Cowboy Poetry is all about, I’m sure
that listening to anything by the Riders in the Sky would fit the
bill. I caught their set back in January in
Portland, and I could readily imagine that
those guys would feel right at home at the ol’ Cowboy Poet
Gathering.
The Cowboy Poet Gathering?
Oh, didn’t you see in the
paper? It’s happening right over in the next county this weekend.
Less than a day’s ride, I’d say. And if you’re in one of those
Fancy Stagecoaches, the journey shouldn’t take more than 20
minutes.
I’m sure some of the best
Cowboy Poetry has been written on horseback out on the open range.
But please, don’t try to drive your stagecoach and write verses at
the same time.
You don’t need any trouble
from the mean ol sheriff!
Duane Nelson will be
appearing at the 3rd Annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering at
The Dalles
Civic Auditorium on Saturday, Nov. 28. Doors open at High Noon.
Admission during the day is free, and
paid admission starts with the
6 p.m. show.
For an interview with Duane Lee
Nelson, click here:
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