Tales from the ranch

SOAP LAKE — Cowboy poems about past and modern ranch life captivated Jessica Hedges when she was a young girl.

Hedges grew up on a 450,000-acre cattle and hay operation in northeastern Nevada, a place where she could see the stars and knew everyone’s name. Her family traveled to Elko every January to attend the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

“It was such a fun tradition for my family. We’d stay up way too late and then have to get up early to feed the cows,” said the 22-year-old, laughing. “I was so captivated by the poems because they were full of rich history and experiences I could relate to.”

Hedges wanted to perform her own poems after watching her first show.

“I wasn’t exactly shy and the thought of performing in front of people was really exciting to me,” she said.

Hedges wrote her first poem when she was 12 years old. Since then, she has written around 30 poems and performed at poetry gatherings in Nevada and Grant County.

“Cowboy poems are real-life stories put to rhyme and meters, similar to how songs are put together,” Hedges explained. “They are oral history books that are entertaining.”

Hedges released her debut cowboy poetry CD this month called “History in the Barn.” The CD includes 11 original poems and one of Hedge’s favorite poems written by her idol Waddie Mitchell.

“It felt so great to accomplish this,” Hedges said. “It took a whole year to record and get all the paperwork together, so it’s really good to see the end product.”

Hedges wrote about past and present ranch life and the experience of being a wife and daughter of a cowboy. Hedges and her husband Sam moved from Nevada to Soap Lake a year ago to work at a ranch.

“We moved here because we didn’t want to be older, sitting at a bar every night and saying, ‘someday I’m gonna…,’” Hedges said. “We want to go out, travel the world, raise kids and I want to perform.”

So far Hedges enjoys her new town.

“It’s great here,” she said. “The people are warm and friendly and the scenery is beautiful.”

Along with her own reflections on ranch life, Hedges’s CD contains stories from her family and friends’ points-of-view.

“There are poems I recorded from a male perspective. I told stories my husband and dad told to me,” Hedges said.

One poem titled, “Leo” discusses a horse Hedge’s husband Sam had trouble handling.

“My husband absolutely loved it,” Hedges recalled. “Sometimes I tweak my poems and he wouldn’t let me touch this one.”

Hedge’s best friend inspired a poem about different perspectives.

“My best friend loved my family’s ranch, but she didn’t grow up on one, so she didn’t see things the way I did,” “Hedges said. “When she looked at a broken down barn, she saw a mess and I saw history. When she looked at an old horse, she saw a poor animal and I saw a hard worker. My poem is this back and forth idea.”

Hedges is most inspired to write between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

“It doesn’t make much sense, but I guess it’s because of the lack of distractions,” she said. “Everything is shut down, people are in bed and I can focus and think.”

Hedges writes outside or sitting by her kitchen table.

“I write when I’m in the mood and when I feel that I have something I want to say,” she said.

Performing is the best part.

“I like getting up in front of people and sharing my experiences,” Hedges said. “I’ve been able to meet so many great people who share similar pastimes with me. Gatherings feel like such a family atmosphere because you become friends with fellow performers who really take you under their wing and help you out.”

Hedges ran all her poetry by her family and friends before finalizing her CD.

“My family is behind me 110 percent,” she said, smiling. “If nothing else, my dad absolutely loves this CD and that is good enough for me.”

To purchase Hedge’s new CD or schedule her to perform, visit www.jessicahedgescowboypoetry.com or call Hedges at 775-397-4420.