The 2026 O:JA&L Masters Series
Poetry: All forms & styles
Cowboy Poetry
Rod Miller
Give That Cowboy a Hand
Click on the title SADDLE WORK to explore or download Rod Miller’s free PDF chapbook
available now in the the 2026 O:JA&L Masters Series.
Bent in a shape to hold bridle reins
Are the fingers of a left hand
Marred and scarred, calloused and cracked,
Scorched with the marks of a hot-iron brand.
Bony ridges and mountainous knuckles
Gnarled into canyons and coulees.
Veins run like rivers, blue across hide
As coarse as the bark on dead cedar trees.
Skin thin as parchment, mapped by
Barbwire, buck knives, and horseshoe
Nails—the tracks of mishaps and wrecks
And the work every cowboy must do.
A landscape formed by life’s every deed.
The hand of a hand. A book to read.
About the writer:
ROD MILLER (WRITER ROD) is an award-winning cowboy poet, historian, novelist, and essayist dedicated to chronicling the American West. Immersed in cowboy culture from birth, he drew early inspiration from his time on the intercollegiate and PRCA rodeo circuits. Miller has authored numerous historical books, novels, and poetry collections, including Things a Cowboy Sees. His diverse commentary and historical insights frequently appear in western periodicals and anthologies. A four-time winner of the prestigious Western Writers of America Spur Award, Miller seamlessly blends authentic western heritage with refined literary craft. To explore more of Rod Miller’s work, we encourage you to follow the links below:
Image: In the sanctuary of small memorials (AI-assisted digital image) by O:JA&L staff creative. 2026. Public domain via Midjourney AI.
OJAL Art Incorporated, publishing since 2017 as OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and its imprints Buttonhook Press, HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues, and HIGH BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Art, supports writers and artists worldwide.
The O:JA&L Free Presses Masters Series
The O:JA&L Free Presses Masters Series (from OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters) gathers acclaimed writers for concise, downloadable chapbooks that pair fresh work with candid reflections on craft. Each installment—often framed by an interview with an associate editor—opens a window onto how masters of poetry, prose poetry, flash fiction, and related hybrid forms build voice, compression, and surprise. Designed as a reader’s invitation and a writer’s toolbox, the series celebrates literary art that moves fast, cuts deep, and lingers long after the last line.
Click on the titles below to explore or download the free PDF chapbooks.
Prose Poetry and Flash Discourse
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Brian Clements on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Mark Budman on Flash Discourse
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Ray Gonzalez on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Michael Martone on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Roberta Allen on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Peter Conners on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Maxine Chernoff on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Pedro Ponce on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Kent Dixon on Flash Fiction & Nonfiction
With an interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
MIixed Forms: Haibun, Haiga, & Tanka Prose
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Roberta Beary on Haibun
With an interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
Experimental Discourse
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Jim Meirose on Experimental Discourse (XP)
With an interview by Associate Editor Warwick Newnham
Poetry: All forms & styles
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Poetry from Bruce McRae
With an Interview by Associate Editor Jeff Streeby
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Poetry from Richard Widerkehr
With an Interview by Associate Editor Jeff Streeby
The Dally Post Press Masters Series: Cowboy Poetry from Rod Miller
With an Interview by Associate Editor Jeff Streeby
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