I will begin by telling you a little about the person who I am and how I came to write these pages..... Today, I own and operate a real working cattle ranch along with a Country Western Bar and Grill, Western Wear, Feed and Saddle at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. I grew up in a small farming community in rolling hills of rural Ohio. I enlisted in the Military at age 17 and was selected by the US CID to do covert operations in the North Carolina region of USACIDC. I worked as a CID Agent for 7 years and then left the CID but continued to work with special operations for an additional two years. After 10 years of working as a covert undercover officer. I decided to change direction and become and retired a North Carolina State Trooper. The following poems and short stories were inspired by true events or friends who have touched my life in some matter and have forever changed my life. It is said that friendship is clairvoyant. With a true friend words are never needed. What you enjoy doing together will come natural and such a friendship shall stand throughout the ages. I hope you find such a friendship in your life and then you savor each day and share it with that someone special in your life as you go. Whether we realize it or not, everyone we know is very special to us. When we look back on our younger years, we will remember The people who went to school with us, the people who made us laugh, the people who hung out with us when nobody else would, and the people who made our lives much better simply by being a part of it. That's the wonderful thing about friendship--you always feel loved and cared about. The most important thing to remember is to always appreciate the friends that you have.... Seek out and find the time in each day to see the Beauty and Love in the world around you....

He was a man born horseback And rode anything with hair Whether outlaw broncs or outlaw mules He always had some flair Budweiser was his drink of choice Along with vodka scotch and crown The cowboy life was the life for him

The Eagle I wrote this poem about when I was living on Dr. M.J. Nachtriebs Ranch at Northrop, Colorado. In the mornings as I would leave to work I would see this pair of eagles above in their nest in a tree. At night when I got home I wouldn’t see them, but just before dark they would fly over the camper I was staying in. I always liked to think they were watching over me.

Author Sharon Carpenter was introduced to the cowboy poetry writing and performing style by Joel Hayes, founder of Douglas County's Poetry Writers Group located in Douglasville, Georgia. She was a performing poet with the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Annual Georgia Cowboy Gatherings. Now, she has collected her cowboy poetry into one volume. Western Cowboy Poetry: An African American Perspective is an engaging collection of poems specifically written to be delivered at cowboy poetry gatherings. These verses provide an imaginary yet entertaining perspective on what life experiences might have been like for African Americans who strived to live in the western region of the United States during both the pre- and post-civil war era. These poems offer historical and contemporary cowboy viewpoints and they are based upon research of historical contributions of African Americans. Western Cowboy Poetry consists of four sections, emphasizing the journey and contributions of African American cowboys; the work experience for these cowboys; cowboy love stories; and the perspective of African American cowhands of the time on values. Isom Dart Let me tell you the story Of ol' Isom Dart, How he broke my will and my soul, And also my heart. He was as elusive as them horses He was always chasin'; You think you landed him, Then you find—time, it was a wastin' ... "Sharon's unique style brings an African American perspective on western cowboy poetry." —Douglas County Sentinel

Poems of a Christian Cowgirl is a collection of poems written for people who enjoy the cowboy way of life and want to feel a closer connection with God. Containing stories and experiences, as well as beliefs and views on life, Poems of a Christian Cowgirl taps into your emotions and speaks to your soul in a rustic Western elegance of someone who knows this life and the hardships Christians and cowboys face in the modern era.

The heart and soul of the West is seen through the eyes of its women, cowgirlpoets writing about horses, haymaking, cowboy courting, and living free. Lineillustrations throughout.

This anthology of “Cowgirl” poets, and edited by Jill Charlotte Stanford (The Cowgirl's Cookbook, Keep Cookin' Cowgirl) features the words of a wide range of Western women poets chosen for this collection by real ranching women and cowgirls across the West as the poets whose words most speak to them and the Western experience.