Vaquero
“I rode in wooden stirrups and the dust raised by
my ponies, was smoke, from my altar offered up to
God above.
In the canyon and barrancas and willows by the
creek bank, I chased the wild cattle through the
live oak trees.
Aross valleys ridge and mesa and the hills baked
oh, so yellow, my ponies sleek and dancing were all
a man would need.
In the fog of early morning, Or the misty haze of
twilight, Beyond the sagging ruins of these adobe
walls.
You may see me in the dust, that shimmers in the
half light, Or hear me in the whisper, of the grass
so green and tall.
My soul is dancing in the moonlight, I mingle with
each grain of sand in the land that is my birthright.
I am still here, todavía estoy aquí, I am still here”
*Text within Quotation marks is a paraphrase from the “Vaquero Song” by Dave Stamey
I have seen talent and I have seen beauty, I have
seen the sacrifice and the hard work that creates
respect in the eyes of a man’s fiercest competitors.
I have seen tenderness and love, I have seen
commitment to a family and to friends that draws the
attention of the hardest heart.
I have seen men,
men of unquenchable passion pour their souls into the
flesh and bone of their mounts, knowing full well that
these sculptures of muscle, hair and hoof will never
be displayed in a museum and appreciated by future
generations. They are here for moments like full
moonlight or a hard rain and then they are gone.
But I am witness and I remain.
“Todavía estoy aquí. I am still here. Todavía estoy
aquí.”
The witnesses are many and the beauty of these
visions is burned into our souls with the hot iron of
sadness. It will scab and it will scar. But we will thank
God for the reminder, we thank him for the gift
that we now cling to and we accept our
responsibility.
Innocence will protect some and ignorance will
spare others.
We are the privledged ones. We who comprehend
and recognize the preciousness of those moments
when we saw with our own eyes, the miracle of man
and beast in perfect pitch, in perfect rhythm, a
song of the clearest notes and most beautiful
melody,
We bear witness and we remain.
When we gather to mourn and when we gather to
celebrate, every loved one in our lifetime will see
proof of the miracles and hear the beautiful
melodies,
Carlos todavia esta aqui.
“I rode in wooden stirrups and the dust raised by
my ponies, was smoke, from my altar offered up to
God above.
In the canyon and barrancas and willows by the
creek bank, I chased the wild cattle through the
live oak trees.
Aross valleys ridge and mesa and the hills baked
oh, so yellow, my ponies sleek and dancing were all
a man would need.
In the fog of early morning, Or the misty haze of
twilight, Beyond the sagging ruins of these adobe
walls.
You may see me in the dust, that shimmers in the
half light, Or hear me in the whisper, of the grass
so green and tall.
My soul is dancing in the moonlight, I mingle with
each grain of sand in the land that is my birthright.
I am still here, todavía estoy aquí, I am still here”
*Text within Quotation marks is a paraphrase from the “Vaquero Song” by Dave Stamey
I have seen talent and I have seen beauty, I have
seen the sacrifice and the hard work that creates
respect in the eyes of a man’s fiercest competitors.
I have seen tenderness and love, I have seen
commitment to a family and to friends that draws the
attention of the hardest heart.
I have seen men,
men of unquenchable passion pour their souls into the
flesh and bone of their mounts, knowing full well that
these sculptures of muscle, hair and hoof will never
be displayed in a museum and appreciated by future
generations. They are here for moments like full
moonlight or a hard rain and then they are gone.
But I am witness and I remain.
“Todavía estoy aquí. I am still here. Todavía estoy
aquí.”
The witnesses are many and the beauty of these
visions is burned into our souls with the hot iron of
sadness. It will scab and it will scar. But we will thank
God for the reminder, we thank him for the gift
that we now cling to and we accept our
responsibility.
Innocence will protect some and ignorance will
spare others.
We are the privledged ones. We who comprehend
and recognize the preciousness of those moments
when we saw with our own eyes, the miracle of man
and beast in perfect pitch, in perfect rhythm, a
song of the clearest notes and most beautiful
melody,
We bear witness and we remain.
When we gather to mourn and when we gather to
celebrate, every loved one in our lifetime will see
proof of the miracles and hear the beautiful
melodies,
Carlos todavia esta aqui.
Carlos and Jett at the 2009 Texas High School Rodeo State Finals Cutting Horse Show.
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