Some things are easier to say in a song or a poem than they are in conversation. Music and poetry give shape to what lives in the heart and soul, helping us put words to what might otherwise remain unsaid and helping us connect to one another. This month, our cowboy poets share the poems that speak most deeply to them as they answer this question posed by Heart & Soul, “What is the one poem that bares your soul? The one that says something you might not otherwise know how to say?”

Sometimes writing a cowboy poem comes “like it was delivered via a magic carpet,” but other times the writing drags on and on for months or years. This month, the cowboy poets talk about the time it takes them to write poems as they answer this question posed by The Deadline Drifter, “What was the quickest poem you ever wrote? Which one took the longest, and how long did it take to finish?”

Rodeo season is in full swing. And while not every cowboy poet rodeos, the feats that take place in arenas across time and space have inspired this bunch of cowboy poets to reminisce on their various rodeo experiences. Whether in the announcer’s booth, in the grandstands, or on a bull, the cowboy poets have stories to tell in rhyme and meter as they answer this month’s question, “Have you ever rodeoed? If so, did the experience inspire a poem? (Or, do you have a favorite rodeo poem?)”

Even if the lines of a memorized poem begin to fade, the feeling of the poem persists. This month, we ask the cowboy poets a question posed by a nurturer of storytelling and rhyme, Mother Goose, “What was the first poem you committed to memory, cowboy or otherwise, and why has it stayed with you?”

The first markers of spring are meaningful when you work close to the land. This month, as we inch closer to greener pastures and longer days, the cowboy poets share spring-inspired poems as varied as the season itself as they answer this question, “What’s a spring moment on the ranch that has stayed with you long enough to become a poem?”

From beloved horses to ornery cows, this month the cowboy poet columnists reflect on the memorable animals in their lives that inspired a poem.

In this month's Ask a Cowboy Poet column, the cowboy poets talk about a person who is part of their Cow Town State of Mind community alongside their family and crew. And, we want you to answer the question too!

This month, the cowboy poets discuss their pre-show rituals that help them reign in uncertainty and corral confidence as they answer the reader-submitted question, “Do you have any habits or superstitions that are part of your pre-performance routine?”

This month, the cowboy poets give tips and tricks for wrangling rhymes as they answer this question, “How do you find your rhyme? Are there any tools or tricks that you turn to when the rhymes aren't coming?”

This month, the cowboy poets gather some of the most meaningful moments from their time in Elko as they answer this question asked by Feeling Nostalgic, “Could you describe a uniquely memorable moment you experienced at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko?”

This month, the cowboy poets describe their observations of the fall season as they answer this question posed by Feeling like Fall, “How does the land, and the animals you surround yourself with, change as the days get shorter and darker?”

This month, the cowboy poets whittle down a wide question about their writing as they answer this quandary asked by @carteagraphy, "How do you distill the vastness of the vistas you encounter into the slim space of a poem?"

This month, the cowboy poets mull over a dilemma “as old as human fingernails” as they answer a question about transition planning for generational ranches.

This month, the poets describe their “heaven on earth” as they answer this question asked by Anonymous, “What is your favorite place on Earth?”

This month, the poets are asked a question by another poet. Jonathan Odermann asks, “"When inspiration strikes...what is the silliest, strangest, or otherwise most unconventional way you've managed to record a poem before it escaped your consciousness?"

Tipping over horses, caving in the sides of pickups, and charging to kill. While most range cows get ornery every once in a while, some of them become legendary for their temper. This month, the cowboy poets answer Cowpoke’s question, “What’s a story about the most ornery cow you ever came across?”