I am a third generation Colorado Native. Nancy Wallace, also a native Coloradoan, and I have owned and operated Soldias Farms in Larimer and Phillips Counties for over 50 years, raising kids, crops, livestock and restoring wildlife habitat. We have received State and County awards for our practices and work to restore several abused parcels of land which we have unified into a modest but fairly productive farm/ranch north of Fort Collins where we live and work. Our oldest son Dave has recently moved into the home place and is taking over more of the work. We built a smaller house on the farm 3/4 mile to the East. I started writing poetry and essays in my mid-seventies as a natural outgrowth of an interesting and diverse life and because I thought it would be more fun than writing memoirs for family like many try to do. I also thought some of the poetry might contribute to closing what has been labeled the “rural-urban divide”.  My poetry is brightened by the work of a couple of friends and local artists: Nina Judson-Crespo and Jane Clark who have illustrations in the two books of my poetry that have been published. Some of their work can be found in the photos on this site.  

I write a good bit of cowboy poetry and what might be called “agrarian poetry” because I just like it. It is an authentic artform of the Western US. It has emerged spontaneously from people who work outdoors raising food and fiber, from horse packers, rodeo cowboys and others. It celebrates that work and helps others to learn more about the rural West and its traditions. It is the kind of verse that comes from an opportunity to observe land, livestock, wildlife, weather, interesting characters and the work itself over time. It often does so by telling a story and sometimes uses more traditional forms of poetry and song. I think that is needed in this era of digital soundbites and text messages. It is seldom political or divisive in nature and not as focused on oneself as much as a lot of contemporary poetry. I also like that it is often recited - like stories are told  rather than read. It reflects an enjoyable part of my own life and by the way, is shared by pastoral cultures in many countries.

I have been fortunate to have been an invited artist at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko Nevada. During the Covid years, invited poets and musicians sent virtual video poems and music to the Western Folklife Center that puts on the Gathering. Some of what I sent can be found here.

I do write poetry and essays that move beyond the American West, tying into current issues or universal themes and a diversity of past experiences. This includes some of our work in developing countries and our in our community at home. Some of my writing has been included in publications like High Country News, Backcountry Journal, Bugle and in on-line publications like the Colorado Sun and Writers on the Range. 

I enjoy being what you might call a  “Guerilla Poet”. One of my favorite things is to spontaneously recite or read to guests kids, farm animals, or when a situation seems to lend itself to a poem. I once recited a poem (this one in Spanish) to a bored looking group of Hispanic casino workers waiting for their food order in McDonalds – we had fun. I like to surprise people with a poem if they bring up a subject I have written about, or it looks like a poem might help shed light on something being discussed. Poetry, like music, humor, and other art forms, is often less divisive and needed in times when people are divided by other ideas. 

I am also Professor Emeritus from Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources and co-founder and former Director of the Center for Protected Area Management. Those years included  considerable work with natural resource managers in the US and Latin America. Before that came Marine Corps and Peace Corps service and jobs in construction and with migrant workers. Nancy and I have served on a variety of boards and commissions at the regional and local level. All these experiences plus early blue collar jobs including cowboying for the Stirrup Bar in Maher CO, along with half a century on our farm/ranch make it easier for me to write now. 

Although I greatly enjoyed teaching, research and service at CSU, life has many chapters. The Poetry and informal writing give me a chance to put on a couple of different hats. I can share some parts of our lives like farming and ranching, horse and mule packing, restoration work and other things that have been equally interesting and important. I enjoy using parts of my mind that are expressive in a way that academic writing doesn’t allow one to do as well, although one can sometimes insert science into the common things that we all see. 

Garcia Lorca said something like: 

a poet drinks from the well of the people, and then gives it back to them in a way that may help them understand themselves and the world even better.   

I hope I am able to do that part of the time. Thanks for your curiosity or interest. I hope you enjoy the poetry, essays, and art you find here. 

— George