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By Joyce Hollister
For years, cowboy poet Baxter Black fancied himself a songwriter, not a poet. "But I've always been a storyteller," the former veteri-narian says. "Somewhere in my mid-30s I combined my ability to write in verse with my stories." Visit him at www.baxterblack.com.
Q:
How do you define cowboy poetry?
A:
Cowboy poetry is about wrecks. Horse wrecks, cow wrecks, sheep wrecks, financial wrecks. It has to do with the relationship of humor to tragedy. If you get run over by a vehicle, it's tragic; by a cow, it's funny.
Q:
Why does cowboy poetry rhyme?
A:
It's easier to memorize—I may do 10 or 12 poems in a show.
Q:
Where do you find your inspiration?
A:
My audiences. People tell me their stories, stuff I could not make up.
Q:
Any favorite poets?
A:
Robert Service, Rudyard Kipling, and Banjo Paterson, who wrote "The Man From Snowy River" and "Waltzing Matilda."
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