About Us The Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry, Inc. Cowboy Poetry at the BAR-D Ranch www.CowboyPoetry.com

CowboyPoetry.com is an excellent source for everything a person wants to know about Cowboy Poetry. You can keep current on activities surrounding the business of cowboy poetry and western entertainment; on the news about everyone involved; and it is as well as a source for cowboy poetry from the past to the present. It is not biased in any form... I check it every day and enjoy every minute spent with the site. It is also very professionally done and easy to navigate. Words cannot describe all the benefits I have derived from this website.

I feel it is a very important website to everyone involved with cowboy poetry, whether they be poets or fans. I know the expense of hosting such a site as well as the massive amount of time involved with keeping it current. The donation I made was in memory of Howard Parker, a great cowboy poet and western entertainer, and I know of no better place to leave a memorial in his honor as it represents what he loved...the world of cowboy poetry.
Yvonne Hollenbeck, poet, From My Window and other poems

CowboyPoetry.com provides visibility for the art, as well as for individuals -- the site, professionally designed and edited and regularly updated lends class to the genre. It goes beyond poems for browsing by providing news, essays, reports, Q&A, special events and projects... it presents cowboy poetry seriously as literature and a part of the greater world of poetry... it has become a resource for tracking down information about and the work of current and classic cowboy poets... How could I not support such valuable work with a donation?
Rod Miller, author and poet

Cowboypoetry.com has meant that all of us who share a love for cowboy poetry, art and music have a place where we can meet and share our interests across the world. This would not be possible on a one-to-one basis. I cannot tell you how many ways I have personally benefited by meeting new friends...Donating what I could was the right thing to do. The cowboy way.
Rod Nichols, poet, A Little Bit of Texas

CowboyPoetry.com accepted poems I'd written, made me feel welcome, and encouraged me to keep on writing more. What moved me to make a donation? I want to do something good for an outfit that's been so good to me.
LaVonne Houlton, horsewoman, writer and poet, Modesto, California

CowboyPoetry.com provides thousands of cowboy poets with a "medium" in which to share an honest verse with those who may or may not understand the true context in which it is intended but love it just the same...Very few things move me to the point of "donation," but the things that do are just, right and good ... Wishing continued success in your just cause.
Andy Nelson, co-host of Clear Out West, emcee, poet, Harvey's Moon

Because of CowboyPoetry.com, I've made friends with many other poets who connected with me initially by email in response to a poem posted on the site. I've been invited to perform in many places, and it's not uncommon for people in the audience in a town far from Sigurd, Utah, to come up and tell me I'm a favorite poet -- and they've found me through CowboyPoetry.com."
Jo Lynne Kirkwood, Cowboy Poets of Utah, Sevier Valley Roundup

It's such a pleasure to be able to read the wonderful poetry at CowboyPoetry.com...the high standard encourages a reader... I was moved to donate because CowboyPoetry.com does a marvelous job promoting the poetry and the poets... I'm sure glad I found CowboyPoetry.com.
Eddie O'Hara, poet, New South Wales, Australia

What I value most about CowboyPoetry.com isn't one thing, but many. I feel proud in being recognized by people whose opinions I value, and who maintain high standards for me, and for themselves...I value preserving the heritage of the American West, and the telling of the stories of the unique men, women, and children who lived here in the past.
Hal Swift, poet, Cowboy Poems and Outright Lies

I "discovered" CowboyPoetry.com three years ago when I started seriously writing cowboy and western poetry. The site has provided inspiration and information as my new poetic career has advanced. I especially enjoy and appreciate the authenticity of the material accepted for publication and the "high bar" set for the western and cowboy poetry submissions. Also, the sheer volume of material on the site is impressive...there's days of good reading there as well as the extensive calendar of events, the recurring challenges of the Art Spur program, and the appreciation of classical poets such as my 1940's acquaintance, Badger Clark... I made a donation because I just wanted to feel a part of such an exceptional western program.
Clark Crouch, poet, Where Horses Rein

I value the calendars of events, and a chance to see the poetry some of my friends are doing, some of whom I only see once a year. Also, links to other publications and contests are helpful. I appreciate the work involved and realize it's not for free.
Jim Cardwell, poet, Oroville, California

I value a spot on the world-wide-web where I can put up my boots, stay awhile, and relax among folks of like mind and ideals. To share something with others as important as a love of the West and what it stands for seems to be a rare commodity in these troublesome times... The Spirit of the Cowboy and the West is something CowboyPoetry.com works hard to keep alive, and I'm humbled and honored to be considered "a part of it all."
Lincoln Rogers, poet, journalist, writer and photographer, Parker, Colorado

CowboyPoetry.com is a place where I can explore other poets, read their poetry and even get to know them a bit... CowboyPoetry.com has created a way to keep the tradition alive. Thanks!
Michael Whitaker, Cowboy Poetry: The Gathering

Cowboypoetry.com is the most professionally presented cowboy poetry site on the web, and it's an honor to be a part of this great organization. I'm glad to help this successful effort become more successful with a donation in memory of my loved ones -- the cowboys and ranchers of my own family, the people who inspire my poetry. I hope everyone will want to be a part of keeping the cowboy way alive by making a donation.
Linda Kirkpatrick, Somewhere in the West and Beneath a Western Sky (donation in memory of
Alton S. Kirkpatrick, Lloyd B. Kirkpatrick, Audrey Tomberlin, and Ada Lee Wells)

The talent that exists in this field today is amazing and the site has done a magnificent job of collecting and displaying it for us all.
Michael Henley, poet, Jacksonville, Arkansas

CowboyPoetry.com is tireless efforts in its efforts to make the best cowboy poetry available to the public. We realize that it costs money to build and maintain such a site and to carry on all of the other projects.
Jane Richardson and Pat Richardson, Pat Richardson, Unhobbled

We value CowboyPoetry.com as a center for the preservation of the poems and stories of our cowboy and ranching history. It is a resource for us, and a place to share our stories with others. It inspires us to keep learning more about our heritage and to keep writing and learning new poems. We so believe in the website that we wanted to contribute to help continue the work.
Dick Morton and Jane Morton, Cowboy Poetry: Turning To Face The Wind

I start each day with a visit to the Bar-D Ranch; if I went online tomorrow and CowboyPoetry.com wasn't there, I would be deeply saddened. I find CowboyPoetry.com provides the most timely information available on new releases. Whether recordings, books or magazines, it has an ear to the ground with news of poets and entertainers, with an immediacy unmatched by any other source. If I want to refer someone to a performer, CD or a book, chances are there is a link to it. When friends ask me if I can locate an old classic cowboy poem, more than likely, I can find it at CowboyPoetry.com. What a service that is! I'm sending a contribution to keep news from the world of cowboy poetry comin'.
Jeri Dobrowski, photographer and journalist, Cowboy Jam Session

I love to visit CowboyPoetry.com as often as possible to read the poetry of people who love the history and culture of the great American cowboy. I draw from each person's experiences and I get a glimpse of their place in that greatest of all places on earth -- the American West. Creativity abounds at CowboyPoetry.com, and I can't get enough of it!

When CowboyPoetry.com said they're seeking donations, I couldn't resist. Now, I can take pride that I made a contribution whenever I visit one of my favorite places on the web. The fine product of CowboyPoetry.com is the result of a lot of hard work on the part of its personnel and contributors. A financial contribution was the least I could do. I hope to see CowboyPoetry.com around for many years to come.
David Althouse, Yukon, Oklahoma

CowboyPoetry.com is one of the few places in the world where we can find cowboy poetry done like the old cowboys (our ancestors) did it. Although it is being eroded with modern styles and terms like everything else in America, we can still find some pieces and poets that satisfy the old cowboy in us, still telling the story of the everyday working cowboy's problems and pleasures. Some of us still enjoy cowboy poetry the way it was done by the old timers, some who could not read or write, so passed poetry on by rhyming it so they could memorize it and then putting a bunch of it to music to further preserve the content and style. I feel very proud that my Irish ancestors had a part in that process. The Bar-D makes a place in their pages for us oldsters who are having a bit of a problem with the modern trend in what is today referred to as "cowboy poetry". Thanks for a place we can come and relate to our kind.

One of the things I value most about CowboyPoetry.com is the wide range of participants and ideas on the site. I don't agree with all of them, but I really enjoy being able to take their viewpoints and compare them with mine. It gives me a chance to broaden my knowledge of what is going on in the world of cowboy poetry.

My donation in memory of Charlie Hunt was prompted by the years that I held this man in high esteem. It makes good sense to support an organization that furthers what Charlie Hunt was all about. Charlie never met a stranger and I was proud to call him friend.
Slim McNaught, custom leather artist, poet, and writer, New Underwood, South Dakota (donation in
memory of Charlie Hunt)

CowboyPoetry.com is the welcome, familiar place to go, that feels like a visit home, where many others also speak the same language that I communicate with. My kindred soul is steeped in ranch life and others' familiar happenings and experiences are warmly felt by this reader. I plan to do my share of grease to the wheels, to make the mare go. Like an old friend, Sunny Hancock was a special treasure. He's truly missed... We have seen a number of good poets cross over to other side...You've made it possible for us to continue to enjoy their talents.
V. June Collins, poet, Yreka, California (donation in memory of Sunny Hancock)

The BAR-D Ranch at www.cowboypoetry.com has become the "grange hall" of the cyber-cowboy poetry community. This site allows poets to have a professional link to share with presenters and media, all free of charge. It assists many people in finding rare or obsolete poems, lines of which have often been carried around in their memories since their grandparents recited the verse to them forty years earlier. The BAR-D is of invaluable help in spreading the word about upcoming events, fundraisers and cowboy obituaries. During the vast western forest fires two years ago, the website served as a sort of "bush phone," where people could report the status of the fire and needs for survivors.

In not accepting paid commercial advertising or web site fees, the BAR-D D has set itself above all the rest. It is much more than a simple website containing cowboy poetry. As a result of the editor's love for the genre and commitment to excellence, the BAR-D Ranch has become something on which we all rely and is a shining example of the good that can come from this technology."
Virginia Bennett, editor, writer, and poet, In the Company of Horses

I value CowboyPoetry.com for the appreciation of the art form and the fact new and "unknown" poets are given a chance to have their work included.
Samuel Passamonte, poet, Randolph, New York

. . .I like cowboy poetry and CowboyPoetry.com helps me enjoy it more with so many poems to read, so much information on artists, events, publications, so many web links . . . and I haven't even begun to "scratch the surface" of all that's available on the site. When I was doing research for a grad school paper on the literary aspects of cowboy poetry/western verse, the site was a great resource . . . I thank you and wish you the best as you continue this valuable endeavor that has struck a poetic nerve in America.
Thea Gavin, writer, Assistant Professor of English, Concordia University

CowboyPoetry.com has been a source of information and inspiration to me as I ride what is rather a lonely range at times. It has provided leads and trail markings. It has provided introductions to the work of forefather poets I would not have found on my own. It has introduced me to other poets now writing and working in this field...it is difficult to find another poetry forum with such a robust focus for preserving and expanding the form.

Those of us coming from a rural heritage find on the site a reflection and a record of that which we held dear. It reflects a form of folk story passing that is unique...CowboyPoetry.com has provided a ready base for both the tradition and discussions of the tradition for those of us who still participate in it. This same capability allows those unaware of it a single source for a comprehensive introduction... It is a common ground for writers, performers and audiences. It is an electronic front porch on which we can gather, catch up on what's happening and pass on some of our latest work. In many ways, it is one of the few porches left.

... I applaud the creation of the Center and wish to be at least a small part of its founding. Perhaps what we do now will plant the seeds of support for those who follow-- when we are "no longer in the game" (to quote an old friend from outside the cowboy world).
William (Bill) Black, Jr., writer, performer, poet, Arizona

The Cowboy Poetry Rodeo and CowboyPoetry.com share similar goals: documenting history that might otherwise be forgotten and improving the genre of Western and Cowboy poetry along the way. Funds are required for most worthwhile ventures, and supporting the Center seems the right thing to do.
Sam A. Jackson, poet, Wild and Woolly Western Verse and other Sagebrush Yarns,
originator and director of the world's only Cowboy Poetry Rodeo

This is the important stuff of our own history. Preserving the writings, stories, and poetry, and the music; all of it is part of the weave that makes us who revere the west who we are, and what we are. I come from a farm background, also rich in western heritage, and I chose for myself a "cowboy" lifestyle when I was a teenager. Western music, cowboy music, and poetry is for everyone, not only those who live it, but for those who want to "visit" occasionally. That's the beauty of Cowboy Poetry.com. It gives everyone a place to "visit."
Juni Fisher, singer, songwriter, AWA Top Female Western Vocalist, Sideshow Romance
(donation in memory of C. Howard Fisher)

The folks at the Bar-D Ranch are more than just information gatherers, they're friends and fans themselves. They have dedicated themselves to preserving a part of American history that is swiftly falling by the wayside. I thought long and hard about donating and in the end I realized that there is really no organization more deserving of our support. I hope that everyone realizes the uniqueness of the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry and supports it to the best of their ability. Cowboypoetry.com is like a favorite pair of boots: comfortable and an easy fit for the long ride ahead.
Glen Enloe, poet, Don't Ever Sell Your Saddle

Having a place like CowboyPoetry.com to send memorials is an excellent way to share the memory of a western entertainer with others. Both Howard Parker and Sean Blackburn were constantly working to promote western music and cowboy poetry and were both a big loss to the business. I am happy to have found a way to continue this promotion as well as preserve their memory.
Yvonne Hollenbeck, poet, From My Window and other poems (donations in memory of
Howard Parker and Sean Blackburn)

Thanks to CowboyPoetry.com, I can go online and read poems written about the west and the folks who continue to carry on our heritage. Cowboy Poetry and Music Gatherings are some of the best entertainment of our day. I appreciate the clean, family oriented work of fellow writers and performers. My husband Alfred and I treasure the wonderful friendships we have with these fine folks, and want to support all efforts to keep this medium of entertainment going.

CowboyPoetry.Com has allowed me to share my poetry with others in a way I never dreamed possible. Keep up the good work!
Nona Kelley Carver, poet, Carver Country Cowboys and other publications

I set my mind to continue with the ranching after my husband, Randy, was killed in a rodeo accident. Randy's cowboy friends from both Minnesota and South Dakota came together and helped me with the fall work. I gave myself a year to see how it would go Over that year I fell in love with the cattle and the ranch and the cowboy way of life, understanding it more, now, than I ever have...CowboyPoetry.com has linked me to a whole new "family." They understand cowboying. I find myself in another life-changing experience, and am very excited about where it is taking me...
      Diane Tribitt, poet and rancher, Hillman, Minnesota (donation in memory of Randy Tribitt)

I would like to promote Western heritage and leave something for the younger generation so they will realize that our country didn't just happen. I want them to know what a great role the American Cowboy played in the building of this nation... I believe the general population has become more interested in this than ever before; thanks to people like those who hold this web site together.
     Tex Tumbleweed, poet, Dallas, Texas (donation in memory of Wild Bill Halbert)

CowboyPoetry.com was a tremendous resource for us while researching and promoting our documentary film about cowgirl poet Georgie Sicking. The site's valuable collection of historical poetry gives an in-depth view into the evolution of this unique American art form and provides a real sense of the community of poets that have shaped the discipline. Having our film promoted on the site provided us direct communication with the audience we most wished to reach.
     Dawn Smallman and Greg Snider, Film Directors, "Ridin' & Rhymin'" Far Away Films, LLC

I was delighted to find a forum that supports and encourages the western way of life. I made my donation because I am a strong advocate for those in production agriculture. Cowboy poetry is a way to share with the general public what we do in agriculture. While many times my ranching experiences don't even closely resemble the Hollywood version of the cowboy, there is still much to preserve on this way of life.
     Terry Henderson, rancher, writer and poet, Shawnee, Wyoming

Cowboypoetry.com is vital to maintaining the recording of the lifestyle we lead. It is vital to preserving the style of writing used to express our lives as we live it "Country Style!" Personally, it gives me the opportunity to lay down in history, my experiences and those of others, so that years from now, maybe centuries from now, it will not be forgotten. The high standard of acceptance at Cowboypoetry encourages me to strive harder to be a better poet, to read and learn from others, and have courage to put out to the world my feelings and thoughts.

If my donation can help keep our history stay alive, I am glad to do it. It is one of the most valuable, heart felt donations, I think I have made in my life.
Sue Derksen, rancher and poet, Princeton, British Columbia

I decided to upgrade my contribution level a bit...because...It was a happy day in my hectic retirement life when I discovered CowboyPoetry.com. I surfed the various pages and the poems for hours. It stirred up in my mind the memories of by-gone days when I did a lot of cowboying myself. And, even more so, it stirred up my own penchant for rhyming, which had, in recent years, gone pretty stagnant. Nowadays, while living in a big city environment I can "get away from it all" and spend some precious time filling my eyes, mind and heart with a vicarious visit to those "good old days" out on the ranch, riding the range with the wind in my face. I'd lots rather do that than ride a rocking chair.
C. W. (Charles) Bell, retired professor, poet, Utah

I have found this site to be a wonderful escape where one can find decent folks sharing with each other. We come from all walks of life and share a common love for a culture, which holds a sense of values that we can all yearn to feel in our lives. The talent seems limitless and it builds a great legacy for our future. For young and old it simply has a "sense of place" that matters.
Tom Morgan, sculptor, San Antonio, Texas

We are really excited about Cowboy Poetry Week and the avenue it opens for us to achieve some additional community awareness as well as possibility of a state-wide proclamation. All of us who work on Cowboy Poet endeavors are so grateful to CowboyPoetry.com for giving us such a wonderful site to visit for information and ideas, not to mention just a big old uplifting of our cowboy spirits

When I first discovered CowboyPoetry.com, I used it only for my own entertainment purposes, but as time has passed I find myself accessing it several times per week for research on poets, poetry, books and all things cowboy posted there.

The reason I decided to support CowboyPoetry.com? Probably guilt, as I get so much useful information and entertainment from the site and would miss it so much if it were to go away due to lack of support, it just seemed the right thing to do.
Ann Blackford, Gila Valley Cowboy Poets, Safford, Arizona

CowboyPoetry.com has become a universal gathering place for cowboy poets and those of us who are interested in Western themes, values, and issues. Not only does the site provide a forum for new poets, it keeps us abreast of gatherings, publications, and news of a more personal interest such as health concerns or the passing of friends from the poetry world. CowboyPoetry.com is an invaluable asset to the entire Western genre, and we all need to do what we can to keep the Center alive and strong.
Jo Lynne Kirkwood (renewing supporter) teacher, poet, Cowboy Poets of Utah Secretary, Sigurd, Utah

The phenomenon of CowboyPoetry.com contributes enormously to the preservation of Western culture and values.
Paul Kern, poet, rancher, Sandy, Utah

I value CowboyPoetry.com for the exposure it gives our gathering and the way it educates the public about cowboy poetry. I also like the way it gives cowboy poets the opportunity to share their work, and of course it is an entertaining site as well. I feel that the least I could do is give back a small portion of what CowboyPoetry.com has given to our event!
Judy Howser, Echoes of the Trail, Ft. Scott, Kansas

Who would have thought that anybody would or could collect, maintain and make generally available, all the information CowboyPoetry.com has brought together? I would guess, most of us who write this stuff from our experience and our hearts are a bit hard to find, let alone corral and get headed in any one direction. A contribution seems the right thing to do. What really needs doin', most folks can't do. So, I for one, appreciate those who can and are bringing this all together.
Byrl Keith Chadwell, poet and rancher, Baker, Oregon

What do I value most about CowboyPoetry.com? As a performer, I am eager to learn more about shows in my neighborhood. The calendar of events and the updates about submitting applications and deadlines are invaluable. But perhaps as important is the internet exposure for cowboy poetry fans who are learning more about this entertaining oral history and the preservation of the cowboy life and spirit.
Al Mehl, poet, Colorado

I value CowboyPoetry.com because I, too, believe strongly in preserving our western heritage and values. I made a donation to make a difference. My poetry is a ministry to me in remembrance of my father, Marion Ray Teel. He was a fine and special man. I just want to honor his life with my own.
Monty Teel, Euless, Texas

I appreciate CowboyPoetry.com and the availability of promotional materials for Cowboy Poetry Week. I believe in what the Center is promoting and I wanted to support the endeavor.
Karen Neurohr, Associate Professor, Assessment Librarian, Oklahoma State University

Cowboy poetry can put value on things which have value and help us all to remember them by the way they are described. I sent a donation in memory of Charlie Hunt, an example of decency. Those who knew him could identify with him on at least two levels: 1) He was like us the way we are; and 2) he was like the way we'd like to be.
Don Hilmer, poet, New Underwood, South Dakota

CowboyPoetry.com provides a worldwide gathering point for all that are interested in cowboy poetry and western entertainment. It's kind of like branding time or fall roundup, where lots of folks can come together and share some tales. This gathering of poets at CowboyPoetry.com provides a valuable archive of information as it relates not only to the history of the American Cowboy culture, but the web site records the folk life of the modern cowboy as well. The cowboy way of life has changed drastically in the last fifty years, and through the efforts of CowboyPoetry.com, the way of the cowboy and his lifestyle will be preserved and shared with others.

The Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry has become a powerful resource tool for cowboy poets. I would hope that my small donation will help preserve the existence of the Center as well as CowboyPoetry.com.
Smoke Wade, poet, Lewiston, Idaho

Cowboy poetry is about the stories that all cowboy poets have to tell. The more people are exposed to this fabulous poetry, the longer the West lives. One day it may be all that is left of America's heritage. Thank you, CowboyPoetry.com, for everything you do to keep the West alive.
Susan Parker, poet, Benicia, California

The things I value most about CowboyPoetry.com are that it keeps the art form of cowboy poetry alive and preserves our western heritage. It gives the common person a place to put their poems out to the public and encourages us to us to continue writing. I love reading what others have written in response to our everyday lives. It is with gratitude for this forum that I am pleased to donate what I can to make this venue endure.
Patti Leininger, poet and horsewoman, Crown Point, Indiana

Having my work as a part of CowboyPoetry.com, I've made wonderful friends through the exchange of poems and emails. I have broadened my horizons, have been invited to events and gatherings, and my poems have been published in a number of places because of the exposure to and contact with readers from across the world. Keep up the great work, ya'll.
Linda Kirkpatrick, writer and poet, Leakey, Texas

The Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry has done a tremendous job of exposing the true West, bringing to light writings of a culture often ignored, misunderstood, and under rated. Cowboypoetry.com has been able to reach out to places no single gathering or festival could, to not only educate, but to also bring kindred souls together.
Deanna Dickinson McCall, writer, poet, and fifth-generation rancher, Timberon, New Mexico

I made my donation because CowboyPoetry.com is professional and genuine regarding cowboy poetry. I also appreciate the access to the poetry and the ability to submit poetry.
Michael Jeffreys, Yucca Valley, California

I support the Center because the cowboy way of life is the purest expression of God's plan for human living, I believe. It requires and rewards the best one has to offer, and quickly weeds out fools. It needs only courage and ingenuity to be successful. It reveals a big heart transparently (and much more). I live in the western US, and I pray that the values and lifestyle I cherish will never be overcome by "Progress." Television and Ford trucks will do for now, I think.
Noble Collins, Payson, Arizona

CowboyPoetry.com has inspired me to search and clarify our ranch history. If I hadn't started to get it down when I did, more of it would be lost than already is. Through the Western Memories and Picture the West projects, people can share their stories and their pictures even though they may not feel they can write a poem. This website is a center that brings us together. I feel I have taken more than I've given, and the whole family is richer for having so much of our family history recorded here. Put it all together and it's the history of the West.
Jane Morton, poet and writer, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Mesa, Arizona

I value the length, breadth and depth CowboyPoetry.com goes to present the best of Western culture in ALL it's facets, to the public. I especially appreciate the volume and range of talent represented on the site and yet the attention afforded each individual. That type of cultural substance deserves all the support available to it.
Curly Musgrave, singer, songwriter, and musician, Lake Arrowhead, California

The Center is a non-profit organization responsible for historical preservation. Our donation was in honor of Dr. Lloyd E. Messersmith's 75th birthday. Dr. Messersmith has a heart as big as the "big sky country" from which he was born. What better way to honor him then to make a donation to something that he truly loves and enjoys: cowboy poetry.
Mike and Wendy Messersmith, Sacramento, California (in honor of Dr. Lloyd E. Messersmith)

I enjoy reading other people's writings, learning their backgrounds, their views on the West and the culture—both today's and yesterday's, the pictures and artwork and the connection to the rest of the community—the gatherings and the people. I believe in each person doing his share as he is able. It is our responsibility—not someone else's—to support what we enjoy and believe in.
Stan Howe, singer, musician, and writer, Helena, Montana

What I value most about CowboyPoetry.com is learning about various styles of poetry from reading other poets' work and, most of all, from their thoughts. I am not a cowgirl, but I'm definitely a country girl and I do not believe that you have to live the ranching lifestyle to know what's in your heart...I write my poetry from personal experiences, from when my family lived in ranching country or from western people I've met and places seen along the way. I have great respect for farmers and ranchers because if they didn't exist, we wouldn't be alive to tell the story.
Mag Mawhinney, writer, artist, and poet , British Columbia, Canada

CowboyPoetry.com is more than just a directory of where to locate gatherings, and make connections. It is "HOME" to the family of poets and musicians, artists, fans, and history buffs of the Western way of life. It is undoubtedly THE most dedicated, educational, entertaining and complete resource for the specific genre of Cowboy and Western arts anywhere.

I chose to make a donation to help promote Cowboy Poetry Week, and especially in memory of poet Ray Owens, who so humbly made his mark and gained the respect and friendship of so many folks with his kindness and quick wit. He was one of our family and his passing leaves a huge void in the world of Cowboy Poets. He will be missed, but not forgotten, and my
donation in his memory will, I hope, insure that his name will remain among the ranks of one of the finest men we have ever known.
Patty Clayton, singer and songwriter , Edgewater, Colorado

CowboyPoetry.com is my little log cabin way back in the hills at trail's end. I can turn my horse out and go in there, close the door behind and immerse myself in the best of the best poets from yesterday and today. I can find out where gatherings are being held and when, and who will be performing at each. I can find reference material to help me improve my own writing and even line up a workshop. I made my donation now in celebration of Cowboy Poetry Week, 2007!
Jim Hawkins, poet, Madison, North Carolina

In these days when modern technology can sometimes push aside old-fashioned fellowship, CowboyPoetry.com is the best of both worlds. It's an electronic worldwide connection, but it feels more like an old-time town hall meeting, or maybe coffee hour in the church basement... friends sharing with friends...
Al Mehl, poet, singer and songwriter, Boulder, Colorado

We always like to see what's new on the gathering schedule at CowboyPoetry.com, but what we appreciate the most is the wide variety of cowboy poetry that is easily accessible and the background information on the poets themselves. As an important part of our American heritage, we feel that cowboy poetry, as well as the music, must be preserved and promoted...keep up the good work!
Bob and Marie Mann, Altadena, California

Here's what CowoboyPoetry.com is for me: the grand cosmic equivalent of the office water fountain, the auction barn, the local diner, the private research lab, the cheerleading squad, the professional development seminar, and the family reunion, all rolled into one.
Doris Daley, poet, Calgary, Alberta

CowboyPoetry.com is a deep well of data about the cowboy poetry world. I'm working on a book about cowboy poetry and it's amazing how often "experts" have sent me here. It's obvious that anyone who cares about cowboy poetry really should consider the $40 donation. Not only does that help bring together this open range community, you get that fabulous Cowboy
Poetry Week poster!
Anne Lazarus, Poet, writer, and business coach, Reno, Nevada

Before CowboyPoetry.com came our way, we just didn't know where cowboy poetry was heading. My point is very simple: we all need to support CowboyPoetry.com.
Joe Baker, Backforty Bunkhouse, Ruidoso, New Mexico

CowboyPoetry.com has become a "Rock" for those of us who are involved in cowboy poetry.
Chris Isaacs, cowboy, packer, and award-winning poet and humorist, Eagar, Arizona

CowboyPoetry.com is without a doubt the single most current cowboy/cowgirl website in existence. The virtual daily updates and postings make it the "place" to find out what is happening...Anyone who desires to be a part of broadcasting cowboy / cowgirl music and poetry obviously needs to be connected into the best sources for current information...Consequently, I support what supports me!
Howard G. Staub, The Real West from the Old West, Deming, New Mexico

CowboyPoetry.com gives people who are relatively "unfound" a chance to share their work with others. I think this place has a lot of value and feel as much enjoyment as I get out of it, I should try and support it as best I can.
Robert Dennis, rancher and poet, Red Owl, South Dakota

CowboyPoetry.com lets me keep up with folks and cowboy poetry activities and I use it to research particular poets' work. It's my "go-to site." Our Nara Visa Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering board was moved to donate because it was the right thing to do. We like the Rural Library Project and know libraries benefit from the program. There are two and only two kinds of people, "givers and takers." We try to be "givers," like CowboyPoetry.com. Maybe others can be helped. It takes all of us to keep it going.
Tom Cole, Nara Visa Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering, New Mexico

What I value most from CowboyPoetry.com is its perseverance to preserving Western heritage. I grew up on a farm and ranch and this way of life is very dear to me. With the urbanization and fast-paced "lifestyle" this world has changed towards, holding true to my roots and the Western heritage is very important.
Aaron Nelson, Editor, Tri-State Livestock News, Spearfish, South Dakota