O:JA&L Poetry: All forms & styles
Cowboy Poetry
Featured Writer: Rod Miller
The E.S.L. Ranch
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.
Cowboys, past and present, speak a language all their own, spiced up with manufactured words and contributions from mangled Spanish and Indian words. “The E.S.L. Ranch” is overloaded with actual cowboy vernacular falling on the ears of a newly hired greenhorn. The poem originally appeared in American Cowboy magazine, and is featured in the collection, Things a Cowboy Sees and Other Poems.
Stranded, I was, in some cow town,
Out of work and down on my luck;
No way to pay for my next meal
With my finances at less than a buck
When a man drove up in a pickup truck,
Said he was looking for a worker to hire.
Hauled me off to the middle of nowhere;
Dumped me out next to a campfire.
I’d just settled in for a good night’s sleep
To rest up for the coming day’s work
When hell broke loose with a vengeance
And awakened me with a jerk.
Roll out, you waddy! some guy hollered,
Can’t ya hear coosie a-callin’?
Haul yerself out of them sougans!
Roll up that hen-skin and paulin!
Put on a load of Mexican strawberries
An’ some sinkers to line yer flue,
Then grab a kack and come on back
And I’ll tell ya what you’re to do.
Rattle yer hocks down to the cavvy
An’ with a reata snag a cayuse,
Then light out into the brasada
And chouse any critters that’s loose.
I stammered at the man, dumbfounded.
He said, There ain’t no time fer palaver!
If ya wanna be a ranahan
Get forked and get out on the gather!
Well, I resigned my position on the spot,
Mind reeling and spirit broken—
Starving’s easier than working a job
Where English isn’t spoken.
____________________________
*English as a Second Language
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.
Image: The City Kid (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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