peak

Reaching Their Peak

by Dave Rhodes

There is a level some riders have reached

During their days with the Pony Express.

It has not been earned easily or all at once

And is measured by maturity, not success.

I'm talking about ability to do the impossible,

Like riding several days and nights with no rest

Or facing danger head-on without hesitation,

Knowing you can get through, whatever the test.

If you take a close look in these boy's eyes,

The ones that have reached their peak,

What you will see are three things they have:

Riding skill, no fear and ability to fight off sleep.

I have seen a rider and his horse become one,

Melting together into a modern machine,

Joined in body and mind and running smooth

For countless miles with a steady supply of steam.

What courage it must take to meet an ambush alone

And still charge ahead though attackers wait in place,

Or encounter a hostile brave following close behind,

Then swing your horse around and charge face to face!

Lack of sleep on the trail can bring the deceptions

And cause you to get lost, go crazy, or maybe fall,

But, not the young man who, in four back-to-back shifts,

Carried the mail three-hundred-thirty miles in all.

Such experiences have honed and polished

And become examples for the rest of the band.

The memories of these days will be cherished

With meaning we do not now understand.

To you few boys that have turned into men

And become experts in the work that you do,

I take off my hat whenever you race by, and think,

Someday, they will build a monument to you!