The Cowboy Cantos - Cowboy Poetry & Stories

In this episode of Cowboy Cantos, Jason Curtman shares an original Western poem about perspective, pride, and the long memory of the land.

Ol’ Jake is ridin’ fence on a hot day when a run-in with a cactus turns into something unexpected — a conversation. What follows is a reminder that the West has seen more than any one cowboy ever will.

Through humor and reflection, The Cactus Witness explores:

* How quickly tempers flare

* How small we can seem against history

* And how the land often outlasts the people passing through it

Sometimes wisdom doesn’t come from another rider.Sometimes it’s rooted deep in desert sand.

In this episode of Cowboy Cantos, Jason spins a tall but thoughtful yarn inspired by a true story — the remarkable real-life adventure of Larry Walters, whose unforgettable flight proved that imagination and nerve can sometimes carry a man higher than common sense ever would.

What begins as an unusual solution becomes a lesson in ingenuity, humility, and the quiet wisdom that comes from looking at the world from a different altitude.

With humor, imagination, and a dusting of desert wisdom, High Fly’n Herdin’ explores what happens when tradition meets creativity, and when a cowboy dares to rise above the ordinary without losing touch with the earth below. From open skies to stubborn cattle and sun-baked Joshua trees, this poem reminds us that sometimes the best way forward is straight up — at least for a little while.

Pull up a chair, tip your hat to the absurd, and enjoy a tale where gravity loosens its grip but cowboy sense still holds firm.

Footnote:This story was inspired by the true account of Larry Walters, who in 1982 famously lifted off from his backyard in a lawn chair tethered to weather balloons. Carried far higher than intended, Walters reportedly reached an altitude of approximately 16,000 feet, where he was observed and reported by multiple commercial airline pilots while flying through controlled airspace. After several hours aloft, he safely descended by using a BB gun to carefully shoot and deflate individual balloons, allowing himself to drift back down to earth, where he landed without serious injury. While this episode reimagines the events through cowboy poetry and desert lore, the extraordinary ascent — and the hard-earned change in perspective — are firmly rooted in fact.

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Cowboy Hat Etiquette

A cowboy’s hat is more than something to keep the sun off—it’s a symbol of respect, tradition, and the quiet rules of the West. In this episode of Cowboy Cantos, Jason Curtman reflects on the customs, superstitions, and unwritten code that ride beneath a well-worn brim.

Through poetry and storytelling, we explore why a hat matters, what it says about the rider, and how knowing when to care for it—or let it go—reveals something deeper about cowboy character. It’s a thoughtful, dust-tinged reminder that in the West, how you carry yourself still counts.

Pull your hat low, settle in, and enjoy a tale where heritage, humor, and honor all ride together.

For more cowboy poetry and stories, visit cowboycantos.com.

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Sometimes a change of scenery doesn’t bring the rest we expect.

In this episode of Cowboy Cantos, Jason Curtman shares an original poem that takes a humorous look at vacations gone sideways—when good intentions, glossy brochures, and high hopes meet the reality of the trail.

The Cowboy’s Vacation! is a lighthearted reminder that not every getaway delivers peace and quiet, and that a little planning can save a whole lot of surprise. With clean humor, classic cowboy cadence, and a knowing wink to anyone who’s ever packed optimism instead of preparation, this canto rides the line between laughter and lesson.

n this canto, a quiet stretch of trail becomes the meeting ground for two very different kinds of horsepower.

A cowboy on horseback and a biker on blacktop share a moment at Whiskey Tree Bend—each confident in his ride, each certain of what power means. What follows isn’t a race, but a reflection on speed versus soul, noise versus trust, and modern muscle meeting old-world grit.

Horsepower Showdown is a western poem about perspective—about how some rides burn fuel, others chew hay, and both chase the same wind in the end. It reminds us that not everything worth moving fast for is worth leaving behind.

This episode speaks to tradition, identity, and the quiet strength found in knowing your way home.

In this episode of Cowboy Cantos, Jason recalls a conversation with a young ranch hand who claimed you could spot a real cowboy by the manure on his boots. That simple truth made Jason pause and reflect, shifting how he thought about cowboys and the different ways they show up in the world. Out of that reflection, he shared some wisdom with the rancher - laying out three kinds of cowboys he’d come to know. The rancher listened, thought it over, and conceded that the insight rang true.

Welcome back to Cowboy Cantos! In this episode, Jason Curtman shares a humorous, heartfelt poem inspired by a story he first heard decades ago - a tale so memorable he believes it’s rooted in truth. This story became the very first blog post at cowboycantos.com, and now it’s brought to life on the airwaves.

The Great Cake Caper tells of Miss Laverne Mae Jenkins, a church widow who forgot to bake her auction cake and improvised with toilet paper rolls and buttercream. What follows is a hilarious unraveling of appearances, a Sunday dinner reveal, and a timeless moral about honesty and humility.

In this episode, Jason shares The Duck Dog - a humorous hunting tale turned poem. Inspired by his younger brother’s story, a college roommate, and one unforgettable punchline, this piece blends tradition, wit, and the kind of marshland memory that sticks.

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In this episode of Cowboy Cantos, Jason Curtman shares a lighthearted cowboy poem inspired by a simple family memory: banana pudding. What begins as a conversation with his mama about comfort food turns into a Western‑style tall tale of two brothers, a dusty trail, and a legendary dessert drought.

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Back in 1946, you could go to the county fair and see an unusual bird that defied all expectations. Folks gathered for bronc rides, quilts, and pie, but what they witnessed was no ordinary rooster. This was Mike the Headless Chicken - a bird that survived the farmer’s axe, strutted on without a noggin, and became a living marvel that baffled scientists and delighted crowds across the country.

Through cowboy poetry and heritage storytelling, Jason Curtman takes you back to that fairground, where popcorn popped, kids hollered, and a headless rooster strutted with stubborn grit. From the laughter of the crowd to the farmer’s care, Mike’s tale reminds us that sometimes the truth is taller than any tale.

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