The story of the cowboy has been much romanticized and made part of a mythology about the American West. Earl’s Own Dakota Odyssey is an update on that myth. What is the actual nitty-gritty of life for a typical ranch hand, who chooses, or most likely falls into, this occupation? The work is hard, without job security, health benefits or retirement accounts. When you get old, no one wants you. That’s the down side.
The upside is you live in a world that’s real, surrounded by the day-to-day beauty of God’s creation, called the Great Plains. All of Earl’s Own Dakota Odyssey takes place in West River, South Dakota, much of it on a large working ranch west of the Cheyenne River breaks.
Earl’s story begins after being scooted out of a small town high school with an unsigned diploma and no obvious skills. Earl rapidly rotated through the professions of rodeoing, rodeo clowning and bar tramp. He then finds minimal employment at a cattle sales barn.
Life seems good to Earl, until his apple cart gets upturned by a wild 4th of July night in back of the rodeo grounds, where Earl meets the love of his life, Sue Zann, a tornado of a beauty with long black hair.
The next morning, Earl learns from Sue Zann she’s a tad younger than he thought and already has future plans for them. From his sales barn buddy, Earl finds out Sue Zann’s father is the biggest ranch man around and is exceptionally protective of his daughter. Furthermore, her uncle is the county sheriff. His handle is “The Hanging Sheriff.”
With an abundance of caution and plain skittishness, Earl decides to hightail it out of town, beginning his twenty-year odyssey. He finds work on a big West River ranch, where he learns authentic cowboy skills.
Earl survives many trials and tribulations, including a legendary knockdown, drag-out bar fight. After a lifetime of just allowing things to happen, Earl earns redemption by making his own better choices. His story’s surprise ending opens the door to love and belonging on his own piece of West River.
This book was told to me by Earl. I was driving into late afternoon sun in West River, SD, on State Highway 34. It was mid-February, on a snow-covered prairie. I became aware of a fellow waving his arms wildly next to a slid-into-the-ditch pickup.
I backed up, and this wizened, skinny guy, nearly toothless, who could have been 40 going on 70, smoking a camel straight, came tapping on my window. I pulled him out of the ditch. Never once did he express any concern for his misfortune, but was positive, practically cheerful. I got the feeling this was just another day in his life.
Continuing my drive, I got to thinking. Obviously, there was a story here, starring a skinny, West River guy whose name, it seemed to me, was Earl.
For the next months, whenever I was driving West past the Cheyenne River, Earl came to sit beside me. No, not a real Earl, but the composite voices of the number of Earls I’ve met throughout my life as a fourth-generation cattle rancher.
Earl told me his life story, in many ways a tough story, but in many ways, he lived the sort of life he chose. A lot of it wasn’t so bad. I wrote later what Earl told me, pretty much verbatim.
I came to realize this was an odyssey, a Dakota odyssey. Earl finds himself in serious situations, but by some act of grace, his ability to persevere with positive humor serves him well.
Earl shows us how a life of blue sky and wide prairie, with only cows and other ranch hands for company, can be lived without a day of regret—until you are offered something better. In Earl’s case, long raven-haired beauty, Sue Zann, is always gentle on his mind, pulling him forward on the winding road of his life, towards forgiveness and welcome redemption.
Earl is my first free-verse story, or epic poem. I hope you enjoy reading Earl as much as I enjoyed writing about him.
Bruce Roseland, Poet Laureate of South Dakota