Poems Written by Fans About Echoes of the Trail

Echoes of the Trail by Robert C. Atkin - 2009

Lean on a tree neath starry skies
Let your thoughts drift to the past
Think about things that have come before
Forefathers; from whose die you're cast
Dare not fear to bide awhile
Listen to what the past has to say
For this is what has forged the path
Laid foundations for today
Yes; the courage of those brave pioneers
Never a thought they would fail
Let them draw near and you will hear
The "Echoes of the Trail"

Echoes of the Trail by Gracie Cobler, 2001 Fort Scott, Kansas

For two days I sat listening to stories and songs of old.
Some were just mediocre; others were just pure gold.

They told of trail drives and roundups, through ballads and verses of rhyme; Of campfires, sunsets, and early dawns; it took me back in time.

It was the annual get-together of the Cowboy Poets Association.
People who keep the old West alive, with their "Echoes of the Trail" celebration.

One lady sang a song my mother used to sing...
About an old maid and a burglar -- I laughed when I heard that thing.

Now, I'm no spring chicken; I've seen Jim Shoulders ride.
I've watched bronc bustin', steer wrestlin', etc.
while sitting at Daddy's side.

So to the Cowboy Poets Association let me say a big "thank you."
I'd never been to this event before. Come back next year. Please do.

Cowboy Poets at Old Fort Scott by Russel Derleth, Mokane, MO and Dolores Kline,St. Joseph, MO.

Ruth, Ralph, Delores, and I
In each other had found a trust without a lie.
We shared our thoughts on poetry and song
Then decided to all just go along.
A trip no less to Old Fort Scott
To hear rhymed thoughts on guts, gas, and snot.
Wishing for a literary education
About the cowboys of our nation.

Ruth of some age but still spry,
Forgot her medicine to take so as not to die.
We were down I29 a fur ways
But Ruth has Ralph trained, so he obeys.
The road from St. Joe to Faucett we saw four times.
That's just a fact thrown in here to rhyme.
Dark clouds hung low and heavy with rain
Which was dumped for a hazard to hydroplane.

We reached the memory lane of cowboy fame
"Echoes of the Trail" was its chosen name.
I forgot my bad thoughts and pain
And laughed at humor sung, wrote, and told quite insane.
One after another with fifteen mintues to perform,
Humor and reflective thoughts were related out of norm.
For example a Volkswagen out of control on green and yellow snot,
Or a horse spooked by saddle reverberated gas outside the barn lot.

Harold, Leroy, D. J., Neal, and others too numerous to name
All had stories, songs, and poems of humor none the same.
But Gerry Allen with his "Ghost Rider Chickens In the Sky"
Made me crack up and laugh 'til I thought I'd die.
A Sunday morning service had all bowed with hat in hand.
We thanked God for the cowboys of our great land.

Poem by Ron Wilson, Poet Lariat 6-8-07

It's great to be with all of you in Fort Scott
To celebrate the wonderful western heritage we've got.

We love Echoes of the Trail each year,
For the fun and friends that we find here.

The performers you'll hear are among the best,
At this poetry gathering and Celebration of the West.

You'll hear scholars and storytellers like the great Jim Hoy,
Who celebrate the Great American Cowboy.

We appreciate being hosted by the community college.
We can buy wonderful western products and gain equine knowledge.

There's a wonderful concert with Barry Ward,
And cowboy church to honor our Lord.

So bring your family, the kids, and the wife,
For music, poetry, and tales of western life.

And make sure all of you come along,
To hear Johnny Kendrick sing his wonderful song.

For as Johnny sings, my mind turns without fail,
To the days of the old west, and the Echoes of the Trail.