Tag Archives: Horse poetry

For Cowboy, Heart of my Heart

06 Monday May 2019

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The horse that restored my strength, Cowboy. 2003-end of our reign.

If waif means thrown away,
we were waifs—
he, an orphan,
me, afraid of the world;
yet together, we were a magical beast,
fleet of feet, pounding ground
with a rumbling beat,
breath joined,
as in lore,
we were centaur,
& maker of the stars,
& shiny things,
creator of our kingdom,
our safe place to run,
abreast of sand, loose rock,
and sun smiling down on it all–
a coronation of soul,
of spirit,
and what will remain,
from that first day,
to the end of our reign.

You, Me, and the Spokane River

02 Tuesday Apr 2019

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We rode dirt and mud,

through standing water,

like ponds, to verify

the sun, and life

of returning things:

Canada Geese, wood ravens,

mule deer, grazing at dusk,

and the river, surging

with the spring run off

of our souls, singing.

A Horsewoman’s Prayer

27 Wednesday Mar 2019

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Each season,
I say a prayer,
not for safety,
because want of safety
is always there,
but for Wisdom;
Wisdom to listen,
and hear
my horses speak
the magic language
of their needs;
Patience, to wait
upon the softness
of their hearts opening to me,
which is the exact part
that starts the journey of try,
without which, there’s nothing.
I pray for Courage,
when they, in communion,
ask me to fly with them,
either on the ground
at their side
or, on their backs,
where I can grip tightly
to Trust,
and Heaven,
and what it means
to be fully alive.

The Herd, My Family

06 Thursday Dec 2018

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The familiar sounds of mi familia,

a hu-hu-hu-hu-hu of many hellos,

and a foal’s heart-shaped muzzle

pressed through the bars,

waiting for a welcoming kiss.

There’s only one way for the heart to go,

and that is up, up,up, where the soul,

the spirit, the thing we know

that is delighted there,

has finally founds its home.

Loping a Horse For the First Time

14 Saturday Apr 2018

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To straddle that fundamental duality is to be balanced: to have one foot firmly planted in order and security, and the other in chaos…” Jordan Peterson, 12 Rules For Life

At first,

They may try to buck,

But give them the reins

And sit deep in the saddle.

Like everything in life,

No guarantees,

We’re all on the bottom peg,

Really,

When it comes to living,

Or dying,

Or even breaking a leg.

Loping a green horse

Isn’t much different

Than falling in love,

Or growing old.

We like to feel alive,

Sometimes,

We like to fly

On the back of a horse

Learning to run,

With chaos on her back.

Meditation On Touching a Horse

22 Friday May 2015

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You can feel the warm blood

Under his summer coat,

Sun-slick and shiney,

Sweat, that smells of grass,

Which is to say, sweet,

His breathing, his gut-sounds.

Take a moment and trace,

With the palm of your open hand,

From the softness of his muzzle

To the enclave between ears,

Then down along his thick neck,

Under the chestnut of his mane.

Keep sliding your hand along his withers,

To his broad back and belly,

His hips, buttocks, tail.

Take the trust and the quiet

Into your heart

And unfold it over and over

Throughout your day.

Think, grace.

Think, gratitude.

Think, peace.

Hope.

The Barn at Night

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Have you ever felt the quiet,

A sundown that steadies your bones?

I stood for a moment as the horses ate grain,

Big, bold geldings as gentle as whispers,

As noble as gods:

Old Red, his eyes blurred with cataracts,

My horse, the orphaned-pinto,

His breath always in my hands,

And the arthritic gray herd leader,

Now totally white with age.

Some people hope for castles,

As for heaven, I’d prefer a barn.