Jamie Williams’ vision is to preserve a part of American history that has long been overlooked.Thanks, in part to Western movies, there is a common misconception that men tamed the frontier and women decorated it. The reality is that women worked just as hard as men to settle this country and they also helped civilize it.
The American Cowgirl project chronicles the dust and the mud; the joy and tears; the hard work and giving spirit of women who know the code of the west and live it.
Their inspirational stories not only inform us, but also inspire us to think beyond ourselves in a way that breeds respect and tolerance.
These are real people and their stories need to be preserved. We will all be better for it.
This comes from one of those stories submitted to Jamie by a woman named Angel.
ANGEL’S MOM
A man once wrote this famous quote;
“I have a dream.”
Remember?
For Angel’s mom, the dream lives on
despite the dust, the bills and rust.
Despite back pain, the lack of rain,
the coyote’s howl and banker’s scowl;
for Angel’s mom, the dream lives on.
Winter wind whipping, ice cycles dripping,
as mom chopped ice, not once, but twice.
Then toted water while her daughter
watched it from the pasture.
She saw her mom walk past her
with grit not tears.
Though it’s been years,
for Angel, the dream lives on.
Memories of that cowgirl swirl
like dust devils do where grass once grew.
She sees mom’s face; that sweat stained grace,
a road map to all she’d been through
and all she did to raise cows and kids
so, for Angel, the dream could live on.
Angel’s tales of hauling bales,
re-stringing wires and changing tires,
aren’t softened by the mind’s patina.
Her mom’s no barnyard ballerina
tiptoeing through the clover.
She’s stooped and pooped and all bent over
so, for Angel, the dream could live on.
For Angel, mom’s an inspiration
whose perfume is pure perspiration;
She’s a symbol of integrity
and other hard hewn qualities.
As long as cattle graze the field
mom says there’s hope and will not yield
so, for Angel, the dream can live on.
Jeff Hildebrandt © 2008
A man once wrote this famous quote;
“I have a dream.”
Remember?
For Angel’s mom, the dream lives on
despite the dust, the bills and rust.
Despite back pain, the lack of rain,
the coyote’s howl and banker’s scowl;
for Angel’s mom, the dream lives on.
Winter wind whipping, ice cycles dripping,
as mom chopped ice, not once, but twice.
Then toted water while her daughter
watched it from the pasture.
She saw her mom walk past her
with grit not tears.
Though it’s been years,
for Angel, the dream lives on.
Memories of that cowgirl swirl
like dust devils do where grass once grew.
She sees mom’s face; that sweat stained grace,
a road map to all she’d been through
and all she did to raise cows and kids
so, for Angel, the dream could live on.
Angel’s tales of hauling bales,
re-stringing wires and changing tires,
aren’t softened by the mind’s patina.
Her mom’s no barnyard ballerina
tiptoeing through the clover.
She’s stooped and pooped and all bent over
so, for Angel, the dream could live on.
For Angel, mom’s an inspiration
whose perfume is pure perspiration;
She’s a symbol of integrity
and other hard hewn qualities.
As long as cattle graze the field
mom says there’s hope and will not yield
so, for Angel, the dream can live on.
Jeff Hildebrandt © 2008
No comments:
Post a Comment