To write a poem in five minutes
Is a skill I do not possess 
Just like simple math
Or complicated math
Or any math
But fortunately math skills
Are not on display 
Like grammatical ones

And so I will tell you
Of my evening 
At the roping pen
The first one this year
And it was not too hot 
And it was not too cold
Until it was
And I had to teetee

Of the twenty riders
There were two in blue sweatshirts
One horse who flipped completely backwards
Riderless, thank God
A dozen lazy 
No count
Counterfeit 
Steers
And I smiled 
About a horse deal that could not be made
Because the horse in question
Was bought for $300
Made $3000
And he was offered $1000
Then $1500 in the next breath
There was hesitation
But he liked his little horse

I wondered what the sorrel mare thought
About being talked about 
Right there
Her future in their hands
She blinked 
Her intelligent eye
And didn’t move much
I wondered if her mouth hurt
Or if her saddle pad felt okay 
And if she likes doing what she does
Or if she’d rather be a trail horse

But mares don’t talk
And the deal wasn’t struck
And I think everybody was relieved
Until the horse who was upside down
Tried his trick again
And I remembered a black filly I once had
Named Octavia
Who broke everything 
Including my foot 

So third go lasted six seconds
And Waffle House was my future
Diced and covered
And the perfect waffle
From a genuine Waffle House waitress 
Sparkling personality 
But less than ideal teeth
And her story
Which you never know 
But you have to listen
While you eat your waffle
And wonder what life decisions 
Brought her to work third shift
At Waffle House
And she probably wondered
What brought us to her
But she didn’t ask our story
But I would have said
In summary
27 years
3,492 cattle 
Give or take
68,505 beers
Three rings
One buckskin horse
And here we are

Goin’ and a-Blowin

~Chris Ledoux

I’m a goin’ and a blowin’ and a headin’ down the road tryin’ to make a livin rodeoin’
I’ve been a driving all night ‘neath the pale moonlight
Waiting for the sun to start showin’
Theres too many miles and not enough time but I’m gonna make it
Just the same

well its a mighty tough life but I like it alright
You know I wouldn’t have it any other way

Well I’ve been drinkin’ that ol black coffee & it tastes like tupentine
And I’ve heard every song on the Bill Mack show pert near fifty times
And a little green man on a motorcycle passed a little while ago
Boy I can sure use some sleep but I gotta keep a headin on down the road

Lets drive up get out and get on another one and boy you better win
Cause your moneys gettin’ low and the banker gets mad
When them hot checks start rolling in
Well ain’t life great on this interstate a lookin’ out for smokey the bear
And flyin high on caffeine and copenhagen and a breathing that cool night air
Well its a mighty tough life but I like it alright
You know I wouldn’t have it any other way

Love from Appalachia,

~Amy