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[AuthorT]

"Cowboy Up", he heard 'em call as he settled in for his ride
"O.K. Boys!", he hollered back and with all other thoughts aside
He came out of that chute like a bat out of hell, he would make history today
He knows he can go the eight seconds, but when he's done, can he walk away
That chute is sacred ground to most where only few have dared to tread
He knows pride goes before the fall so he would count on his wits instead
 
For him, it is not the fame and fortune that holds his spirit true
If respect is earned through sweat and tears then he has surely paid his dues
He was flirting with disaster with each and every ride
Some may call it rodeo while others call it suicide
For some, the price you pay is high but tradition outweighs the cost
Where would rodeo be today without the likes of Thurman and Frost.
 
He rode for all he was worth that day and in his heart, he had no doubt
they were smiling down on him because that's what it's all about
If he left with some change in his pocket when all was said and done
and a buckle of gold to hold up his jeans, he would feel he had truly won
For he knew it was only destiny that stood between him and each win
He would show them  his pride, make his ride and then hit the road again
Thunder rolled through the grandstands that day as he picked himself up off the ground
He had captured the national title... he had won the last go round.
 
When his final ride was over, and memories were all that remain
He would look back on them fondly and recall the love of the game
Then one day he would close his eyes and take his final breath
But he would always be remembered for his life and not his death
Because a cowboy as tough as Jim Shoulders will never truly die
He will ride another bull someday in the rodeo in the sky
 
 
 
 
Tena Bastian

[Susieque]

Thanks Tena. I met Jim years ago in Kansas City and talked with him for some time. We knew quite a few people in common and had some chuckles over younger days.  He was a consummate cowboy, they really don't make 'em like him much anymore.  Keep the poetry coming, it is nearly a lost art form in the western world. Blessings, Susieque.

[AuthorT]

Thank you. It is a lost art that I have been doing for 30 years now. I have boxes of them! Jim was definately the true meaning of cowboy. That poem was used in American Cowboy as a tribute to him when he died. I couldn't have been more proud that Jesse Mullins had used it. Thanks again.
Tena

[winson5lee]

Hi everyone,Jim has given a true definition to cowboy which even today people remember.