HIGHWAY ROBBERY
BRONCOS HAD A VICTORY
NO SAYS REFEREE
Contest: Never Say Never
Sponsor: Suzette Richards
Acrostic: 10 lines, Never Never
Written 090426
NEWS that is bad will always travel fast
EAST less if you dare, but buy the best
VOTE your conscious, not your money
EVALUATE first, before you calculate
RULING our tongue is always 'job one'
NOSY neighbors need to change
EVERY 'No' does not really mean 'No'
VALUES should always be clarified
ENEMIES today could be friends tomorrow
READ the ingredients before eating
In a looking glass world
Everything looks about right
But is in fact backwards.
Now tolerant modern liberal societies
Are taken over by backward tribalists
Who call for the death of their hosts
While those few places
That still preserve their borders
Are called xenophobic and racist
As their populations simply live in peace.
Increasingly men think they can be women
And women men.
There are even some socalled conservatives
Who think they are conservative,
And best of all are the many liberals
Who actually think they are liberal!
The delusion runs deep
In a looking glass world
Everything appearing real and true
While it is only a mirror image.
(8/29/26)
From my drone, I see you far below
The elk stampedes, the red rocks glow
I'm like the storm over the plain
Can you outrun the rain?
You hope to make it to the black rock lands
But no-one is left, no helping hands
My drone lets loose, a bolt from the blue
The earth erupts, but it misses you.
You think of sunshine before this war
No idea back then what was in store
That foolish empathy now seems in vain
Can you outrun the rain?
You galloped the prairie, now your horse is lame
You dismount you and jog, can't face the blame.
Behind you thunder shakes the plain:
Can you outrun the rain?
You think of the horror that you helped bring
The bombed-out craters where vultures sing.
Truth wasn't your value, that was your stain
You seeded the cloud and now comes the rain.
I send a new command to the drone
I can't go through with this, so I call it home.
My heart goes out to you, I feel your pain
I'll look away while you outrun the rain.
Displease Custodian Cowboy
Anchor Through Paralyze
Bullring Chute Fallback
Floppy Faultlessly Eye
Cauldron Brandy Marinara
Nightshade Always Tragedy
Youthful Guard Hearse
(Weekly Magnetic Poetry Challenge • July 13–19, 2026)
Only the wind
is forever
Only a mountain
at dawn
Only the West
is my lover
Only to her
I belong
Every time
I leave her
The trail back
stays open unclaimed
A voice in the canyon
still calling
O’er the river that christened
— my name
(13thAnnual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering: January, 1997)
Elko Nevada- 2 Guitars A Mandolin & Fiddle
I'm bewildered by what I see yonder,
Now hold yer horses, let's cease to wander.
We're fixin to meet yer coffee boiler.
He's the new one who's not a straight shooter. Whoah!
I reckon he's got an excuse for it.
And he will tell me why he didn't quit.
I'm stumped why he bamboozled you last night.
I thought I'd be cashed in for that big fight.
But I thought we should cowboy up!
You know I'm gonna call that wrangler's bluff.
We'll not run from trouble and skedaddle.
A strong man must sit firm on his saddle.
Grab a bandana, and fetch a canteen.
Nobody's guessed where this trail's gonna lead.
I once road down a lonely darkened road.
The burdens that I carried formed a load.
But I stood determined to cowboy up.
To set my trail straight and clean myself up!
That waddler will learn to ride for the brand.
By my wise warnin' and wisdom's command!
Those punchers all hat, surely no cattle,
Soon learn wild broncos make 'em chew gravel.
Cowgirls too!
These days, cowboys must learn to communicate!
And get the best result negotiatin'
Big change is ridin' hard across the range! Whoah!
Westward Wind Poetry Contest
Bj Legros Kelley
balloons in the wind
up, up, and away she goes
the morning sun waves
Golden prairies roll,
Whispers chase the setting sun,
Wild hearts find their home.
wind whispers through pines
carrying tales of the land~
clouds drift to the west.
Wind God Zephyrus
stirs Spring’s saffron veil, swaying~
the Klimt's kismet kiss
Written: May 21, 2026, for a contest sponsored by Bj Legros Kelley
Checked by howmanysyllables.com
1st place contest winner
******************
whitecaps whip the bay
west wind wrestles restless waves ~
salt sprays silver light
...“Me? Sell my land and house to him?
I’d never dare do such a thing!
He’s the worst neighbor one could have,
I would give that blackguard nothing!”
The sheriff paused, look at the sheet,
he’d seen his handwriting before,
then smirked and said, “So the man lies…
Boys, lock him behind some cell doors!”
Wolf roared in dismay at the words,
but was quickly led to the jail,
Malcolm just shrugged and went inside,
ignoring the rancher’s loud wail.
He still had lots of work to do,
and had court the very next day,
perhaps he could finish his brief
with one problem out of the way…
in solemn homage
mauve blooms bend to touch green grass
westward whistling pass
western winds blowing
gray storm clouds are arriving
taking cover now
Western Categories
Definition | What is Western in Poetry?
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