All around hero for farm and ranch folk is who he is. Baxter Black is best know probably known for his appearances on RFD-TV and NPR morning shows, but for those of you who do not know him, he is a cowboy poet these days by trade. In the past he has been cowboy, large animal vet, and a handful of other jobs here and there. His take on the cowboy life and even that of a rural America is not only genuine, but down to earth and so often presented with a humorous twist that will have you wrenching in laughter.
Baxter is a prolific writer of both poetry and has several books to his credit as well. Some of his really well known poems are clearly about the cowboy way of life. Most of the time they those and his short stories tend to end with some particular cowboy wondering how he ended up being the laughing stock of the group, but they hit close to home.
For instance, stories of catching a calf up in the cab of the truck to get it dry and then the mother cow suddenly taking an interest sound just like something I would do. The dreary fact of every animal being born in the middle of the night when it is a storm of Godly proportions seems to also be spot on. And of course the ones that end up with someone doing something dumb and getting dumped off a horse or kicked by a mad heifer are always funny.
Perhaps one of his best known works though, sees him with little if any credit that is recognizable. That recognition is part of charm by the way – as he refuses to take any awards for his efforts at writing and such, perhaps humility or just paying back his dues. Regardless, the poem is called, “Legacy of the Rodeo Man.” I am sure most everyone is familiar with the movie 8 Seconds, based on the life of Lane Frost. Near the end of that movie Cody, a pal of Lane reads that poem (as one he wrote) as they are flying into a big rodeo. It strikes right where it should for the movie and what it is to be a cowboy.
Interestingly enough, he does all of his work out of ranch out west with out a TV, cell phone or fax machine (I personally doubt he has a computer as well, but who knows for sure?) His believe is there is always a need regardless of the new stuff for people like him to be able to “think stuff up.” Of his quotes that I am most fond of, I think someone asked him when he knew he was a cowboy. His response was, “You either are one, or you ain’t.”
Check out Legacy of the Rodeo Man
** picture is credit to Baxter’s website, at BaxterBlack.com