I Want to be a Cowgirl

I don’t consider myself a poet. I just write things that make me and others feel something. I write about things I’ve done, felt, seen, and the things I dream about. The cowgirl lifestyle is one of those things. I’ve lived it and loved it, and it remains part of me, no matter where I go. It holds a special place in my soul, and has shaped the way I try to approach life.

I grew up in small-town Montana on a horse ranch, raised in a rodeo family. Montana Silversmiths was always part of the story. I can picture my childhood home, and on the walls, in the jewelry cases, on display, it was Montana Silversmiths hardware, from my dad’s career as a rodeo clown and my mom’s as a professional barrel racer. Eventually, my sister and I would contribute to the collection with the buckles we would win. From working with Montana Silversmiths on photoshoots, to watching my dad award buckles at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, to wearing my own on my belt, Montana Silversmiths roots run deep in me and my family. It goes beyond the hardware, however. The people at Montana Silversmiths have watched me grow up. They knew me when I was a stubborn little cowgirl with a felt hat covering my eyes, and they know me now, still a little stubborn, just a little more cowgirl.

I have a deep sense of pride in Montana. Her culture maintains a spirit of the West which has become increasingly rare in the world, something I hope my writing helps to preserve. When I wrote “I Want To Be A Cowgirl”, the story I had in mind wasn’t just mine. It is the story of every girl and woman, beneath a hat or not, who longs to embody the principles of the cowgirl; grit, resilience, gentleness. It is a reminder of the little things, part of every day that can easily be taken for granted. But it is those things, the white lines, the wind-worn cheeks, and a heart for more, which make the cowgirl an important breed.

Being a cowgirl is a romance that outsiders see, and a harsh, beautiful reality that only insiders know. I wanted this poem to invite reflection from both, inviting a sense of nostalgia and renewed longing for this special life. It is a life of unique depth and I have found a duty to convey that in my writing. “I Want To Be A Cowgirl” is a love letter to the hard times and the gypsy life we crave, the heartache and the reward we hope to find in the dust, and the deeper values the Western lifestyle embodies.

-Paige Rasmussen