Western Women: KC LaCourse

Welcome to my “Incredible Western Women” series!
I was born in the small town of Colville, WA, raised in the Spokane suburbs, and moved to rural America with my husband a little over three decades ago. Country life is an amazing place to raise our sons and grandkids. Here on the Colville Reservation, we have lakes, rivers, and creeks to fishing and swim in, hills and mountains to ride horses and hike on, and plenty of space to enjoy family time.
Four generations have grown up and enjoyed this land and all it provides.
I’d like to share rural America with you through words and photos. And if you are a western woman or have someone in mind who can share their stories with us, please pass on their name and contact information to me. I’d love to include them on this journey.
So now, let’s open the corral gate and hear from this month’s western woman!
It is a pleasure to introduce KC LaCourse to you. She is a cowgirl poet with an incredibly kind and generous heart.
KC began her life on a Larkspur, Colorado, mountain for about six years. She attended a school that had one teacher for three grades. Then her family moved to Denver and kept on moving. She grew up in a very violent home and was put in the hospital a few times. The abuse caused all sorts of problems as an adult including various addictions. KC sought counseling and fought to break free from the influences of the abuse.
Yet one effect lingers.
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KC struggles with a form of Dyscalculia or “number dyslexia” which is a math learning disability that impairs an individual’s ability to learn number-related concepts. Those with this disability battle with performing accurate math calculations, reasoning and problem solving, and performing other basic math skills.
To make things worse, KC was electrocuted as a child. “I stuck a hair barrette in an outlet and it fried something in my brain.” She can’t do a lot of things but found she could rhyme and recite.
Dyscalculia was discovered when KC went to college between 2005 and 2010. Because of the disability, she was unable to graduate, falling through the cracks. She dropped out after four years of struggling to pass a basic math class.
“Whatever happened to my brain when I was electrocuted as a child ruined me. I still have report cards up until the accident, and I was doing fine. About 4th grade, it just went downhill.”
But that didn’t stop her.
Wondering if she’d ever have the strength to remain in a relationship, she found she did. Thirty-eight years later, KC is still happily married.
“Western poetry is my outlet,” she claims. I’m currently working on a CD.” KC gets plenty of airtime on American cowboy radio and OZCMR country radio.
In 2019, KC won fifth-place and a flashy belt buckle in the Bristol Cowboy Gathering. “I’m very proud of it.”
Here’s a treat for you!
The Cowboys Lament
On the trail the dust
And loneliness are my friend
For those two facts
There is no end
Only my horse and memories
Remind me of love
That shines down, from the
Harvest moon above
My love came to me
On a ship, from the
Land of green
Of castles and moors
The blue water of Celtic shores
Careless with hearts of people
The hurt I gave to others
I became deceitful
Flaws of youth
Spewed on friends and lovers
As I age and feel the spirit
Of the earth and Native man
I long for comfort
And someone to hold my hand
The peace I must find
As I ride alone
The Bible says for what we reap
So must be sown
At times I cannot sleep
As regret with dust fills my eyes
I sometimes weep
The power of the universe
Must have balance with land and man
I must honor the spirit of what
I cannot see
And believe with time
A kinship will wash over me
With all I have endured and hurt
I look for new meaning
As I embrace the Mother Earth
And walk my path of a cowboy
Understanding will be my companion
And a new rebirth
About KC:
KC Lacourse lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she enjoys writing and performing cowboy poetry. She grew up in Larkspur, Colorado, and has a deep respect for following the cowboy code.
KC is inspired by cowboy history and the struggles of living in the old west, the hardships, and the changing times that cowboys and the pioneer women endured daily.
An award-winning poet, she has traveled to Elko NV, Bristow OK, Durango CO, Grand Junction CO, Kennewick, WA, and Albuquerque NM.
She follows the trail of the cowboy gatherings and breathes life into the ghosts of the past.
It was a pleasure to meet this lovely lady.
I hope KC comes by again to see me after her trip to Australia.
Best wishes to KC
Jane, thank you for taking the time to give a shout out to KC!
Thank you Paty, I struggled with class assignments and found when I had to do one the rhyming just kinda happened , I thought it was great my teachers not so much lol
What a woman! I admire all that this amazing poet has accomplished.
She really has, Mary. She is a true inspiration.
Thank you Mary , it was just livin my life and I thought everyone lived like I did , ♀️
I enjoy hearing stories about women who are strong. And I admire people who can write poetry. I’ve tried and failed miserably. Congratulations KC on finding a purpose to your life. Thanks for an excellent post, Carmen!
I’m happy you liked this post, Paty. I’m excited about this series. I also admire poets with KC’s talent. She has a gift really.
Carmen , thank you , glad we found each other
Thank you , really very kind of you , I just kinda kept rolling , kickin in those new doors when I saw an opening