Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry, Inc. Wall of Support Cowboy Poetry at the BAR-D Ranch www.CowboyPoetry.com

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, Pinedale, Wyoming

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, Sandy, Utah

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, Missouri City, 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

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

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 whether it be a poet or a fan; 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

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 y