Two poems a snowball makes.
It's been about two years since Jason Hanley added cowboy poet to the list of the many things that he is, and he will be one of the entertainers at this weekend's event at the Western Development Museum in North Battleford.
Hanley, who works for the Saskatchewan Potash Corporation, got his start as a cowboy poet in front of an audience in Borden. Although home is the rural area south of Langham, his wife has family in the Borden area, and he had often ridden pasture for her cousin who runs anywhere between 800 and 1,400 head of cattle. The family was involved in a 4-H fundraising event there when Hanley, who has always enjoyed drama and loves to entertain, was inspired to expound on a few "incidents" from his pasture-riding days.
Given their connections to the community, it was something of a "hometown" crowd, so he felt comfortable offering up two poems, and thus began the snowball effect.
"What happened was, it went over too well," he laughs.
The reaction to his debut at Borden convinced him he could be one of the community of poets he had previously admired as a spectator.
Although he works in a mine, Hanley is a cowboy at heart and was already a fan of cowboy poetry, having been impressed by other poets at various events. Inspired, he'd started writing poems for his own amusement, but finding out they amused other people as well is what got him started as a performing poet.
It's like a young hockey player growing up to find himself playing in the NHL.
"It's awe-inspiring," he says.
He's now sharing the stage with people who have been his heroes, one being Scottish-born, Alberta-raised poet Jim Boswell, who will also be in North Battleford this weekend. This will be Hanley's third appearance with Boswell, who has headlined shows throughout the west.
In the last two years, Hanley has found himself invited to perform in venues around the province and at events such as the Cattlemen's Appreciation Night. He's also had invitations to announce at shows for the Saskatchewan Reined Cow Horse Association and the SRCHA futurity.
He says, "I'm having a absolute blast!"
Some of his proudest accomplishments are when audience members come up to him and say, "We can relate to the stories you're telling."
He's actually been asked when he's going to write a book of poetry, (and he might) but, he says, it's not just the words, it's the way the stories are presented. They have to be delivered in cowboy style, using all the "old cowboy slang" and expressions, and be made relatable to the audience.
Hanley says all his poems are stories based on real happenings, things he's experienced or learned as a cowboy.
"They're not dreamed up, but some have been stretched," he laughs.
One of his poems rang so true with a particular doctor who saw him perform that he asked Hanley to sign a printed version of it and now keeps it hanging in his office. There's no bigger flattery than that, says Hanley.
It was a great treat, also, to perform at the OK Corral near Martensville, a venue for all things of a western flavour, including horse shows, 4-H events, riding clinics, barrel racing and cowboy poetry. His reaction to being invited to the OK Corral? Holy smokes! What a gig!
Another milestone for Hanley would be to perform at the Maple Creek Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Western Art and Gear show, with nearly a quarter century of the best of cowboy poetry tradition behind it.
But it all starts at home. The first audience for each new poem is his wife and parents. If they like it, then it's approved for public consumption.
His parents, who live in Saskatoon, both have a farming background, so they love hearing his new poems. His dad keeps horses at the Hanley home and still does some ferrier work. The cowboy thing, Hanley says, "is in the blood" and his parents are very supportive, attending events where he performs.
So does his wife, Sherri Ann, who he describes as his "agent" and the cowgirl who keeps him on track.
"I'd still be in Grade 4 if it wasn't for her," he laughs.
Their kids, daughter Taryn, 11, and son Colton, 7, who are also of the cowgirl and cowboy persuasion, are fans as well. They attend his performances whenever they can. Hanley says he expects his son, who follows him around whenever he's competing in the Canadian ranch roping circuit, could come up with some pretty good poems himself some day.
It was through their involvement with 4-H that Hanley first experienced a chance to try out as a cowboy poet.
One of the things Hanley enjoys about being a cowboy poet is that it's an affordable hobby. He doesn't accrue any profits as a poet, but it does pay for the travel involved. It's nice to be able to pursue an interest without having to worry about the money part of things, he says.
"If it's not going to cost anything, you can play even harder," he adds.
Sure, he'd like to be a cattle rancher, and would be if he won the lottery. But he'd hire other people to do the work.
"I'd have people I could boss around!"
Meanwhile, in addition to being a cowboy poet, Hanley is a husband and a dad who holds down a job at Patience Lake potash mine southeast of Saskatoon. He is also trained in confined space and high angle rescue, and works in that field on a contract basis when possible.
Oh, and he also likes fishing and hunting.
Hanley and Jim Boswell, billed as Wordsmith and Wit - Half Wordsmith - Half Wit, will be performing at the Western Development Museum Saturday, following a roast beef supper. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
