Best Appaloosa Poems
I see the wrinkles in your suntanned brow,
You carried burdens then; you see them now.
You’ve heard the cries your people who in pain,
Have shed their tears two hundred years like rain.
Your sad brown eyes, reflecting now the sky
I see the wings of eagles flying by
Beside you stands an Appaloosa mare
Her spirit one with you now over there.
You hear the drums, they bid you to come near,
Your spirit drawn the beats they ring so clear.
Song like prayers are chanted through the night,
Calling you come, and help them end their plight.
You’ve heard sad cries and now stand at their side,
You join the prayers with both arms open wide,
United spirits sing until the dawn,
When in the fire’s flames a golden fawn.
Remembering a smile crosses your face,
When tribes were one with Mother Nature’s grace.
The lakes and streams flowing with waters clear,
Flow sadly now, the planet lives in fear.
The weightless feathers that adorn your head
Your tribes grey future weighed you down instead.
Now breathing deep you smell the winds of change
While here on earth your people rearrange.
Written by Brenda Meier-Hans
10.21.2014
Giorgio A.V. Contest
Iambic Pentameter
1st place
Medicine Hat Appaloosa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember free will too has been gifted,
with freedom allied to fate's fickle choice.
Tendered words uttered still..now uplifted,
God provides each one a life and a voice.
Ere life ebbs and scrimshaw scrolled hands beckon,
find strength in Medicine Hat horse's paint.
Flesh prized and spirit bold, yet to reckon,
respectful head bowed, pray it isn't too late.
Of sarcasm's sharp sword, one can ill afford,
cursed hubris' price which is never repaid.
The cost of soul's vows torn in broken chord,
word's sting or solemn praised tapestry made.
To cheat one's own heart with standard-less staff,
turned now to stone, to write lone epitaph.
Poet's note: The Medicine Hat Appaloosa is the poem.
Quoth TheRaven - 7 July 2019
A feather lost glides, drifting, it soars,
In the mighty wind, it twirls and swirls, as if dancing;
Once, the People owned all the wilderness,
They called it home, now they watch it be destroyed.
There, high upon a sheer jagged, rocky cliff,
An appaloosa horse of many colors stands majestic;
There, under a blazing azure sky above,
An Ojibwa girl looks at the beautiful land of Canada.
There, in that mighty wind that roars and howls,
Eagle feathers in my hair and on my horse gently flutter;
There, below the Ottawa River thunders,
And the vast lands of wilderness stretch to the horizon.
There, above in that cloudless sky canopy,
Eagles fly, symbolizing the Peoples spirit and strength;
There, in my dream, I am one with my ancestors,
The only sound is the wind that moves the fluttering feathers.
A feather lost glides, drifting, it soars,
In the mighty wind, it twirls and swirls, as if dancing;
Once, the People owned all the wilderness,
They called it home, now they watch it be destroyed.
____________________________
April 29, 2016
Poetry/Verse/"A Lost Feather"
Copyright Protected, ID 16-783-077-0
All Rights Reserved. Written under Pseudonym.
4/1/2019, 2019 Poetry Marathon Final Placement
Sponsor, Mark Toney
Seventh Place
_______________________________
Submitted to Marathon, Mile 24
Sponsor, Mark Toney
First Place
________________________________
For the contest, A Poem Please
sponsor, John Lawless
Fourth Place
I Love Horses: A--Z
A is for... Appaloosa. They have
blankets on their rumps.
B is for...Belgian. They work
hard and can pull up stumps.
C is for...Clydesdale. They're
BIG bays with white fluffy feet.
D is for...Dartmoore, a pony
from the moors--so sweet!
E is for...Egyptian, the finest
horse on desert sand.
F is for...Fresian: Big black War
Horse--a Knight's demand.
G is for...Gypsy Vanner, a rare
beauty like fairy tales.
H is for...Hanoverian. The best
all-round from England hails.
I is for...Irish Tinker. A loyal
horse that's black and white.
J is for...Java Pony. He's
Indonesia's working sprite.
K is for...Knapstrup. He's a
horse full of leopard spots!
L is for...Lipizzaner: Grey
leapers known in the Big Tops!
M is for...Mustang. Wild and
Free--roams America's West.
N is for...Nonius: Big-headed
black and drives the best.
O is for...Oldenburg. Dressage
ribbons just get bigger.
P is for...Palomino. Roy Rogers
named his, Trigger.
Q is for...Quarter Horse,
cowboy's fav'rite! Does
Everything!
R is for...Racking Horse. His
ride's so smooth it will make
you sing.
S is for...Spotted Saddle Horse,
Gaited beauty everyone loves.
T is for...Thoroughbred. Racing,
"The Sport of Kings", he does.
U is for...Ukrainian Riding
Horse: Beautiful born after
War's end.
V is for...Vlaamperd: Flemish
black stallion and true friend.
W is for...White (Albino) Horse.
The Lone Ranger's 'Silver'--of
course!
X is for...Xilingol. He's
Mongolia's riding draft horse.
Y is for...Yonagui, a chestnut
pony from Japan.
Z is for...Zebra: African wild
but tamed by man.
A personal therapist long past
the end,
The love of a horse...is the
love... of a Friend.
deborah burch
02.28.2013
^^^^^
My people, the Ojibwe, fierce and strong
A people of stories and myths and knowledge
On birch bark scrolls and stones their history told
And I, a mere Ojibwa girl, write stories . . .
The early Canadian explorers wrote of our warriors . . .
". . . strong arms held bows, arrows and clubs,
their bodies tattooed in various fashion and design,
faces painted and noses pierced, majestic feathers"
Eventually, they stole our lands . . .
So, I tell my stories, I dream my dreams of a time past . . .
There
Upon a sheer and rocky cliff
The Appaloosa horse of many colors stands majestic
There
Under the blazing blue sky
An Ojibwe warrior looks at me with great love
There
In the air and wind that roars
His feathers earned in acts of bravery quietly move
There
Nestled in his strong arms
My turquoise and glass beaded dress sparkles in the sun
There
Below the Ottawa River thunders
The vast lands of Canada stretch to the horizon
There
Above in that perfect sky
Eagles soar together as a symbol of Ojibwa unity
There
In the imagination of an Ojibwa girl
The only sound the wind that moves those feathers
Today, the majority of First Nation still live on reservations . . .
_________________________
May 24, 2013
Poetry/Narrative/The Ojibwe
Copyright Protected, ID 05-480-540-24
All Rights Reserved, 2013, Constance La France
Written for the contest, Your Nationality
sponsor, Nathan D, Judged, 05/30/2013
Second Place
^^^^^
My people are the Ojibwa, fierce and strong,
a people of stories and myths and knowledge;
on birch bark scrolls and stones their history told,
and I, a mere Ojibwa girl, write stories . . .
There, upon a sheer and rocky cliff the Appaloosa horse
of many colors stands majestic.
There, under the blazing blue sky an Ojibwa warrior
looks at me with great love.
There, in the air and wind that roars.
his feathers earned in acts of bravery quietly move.
There, nestled in his strong arms
my turquoise and glass beaded dress sparkles in the sun.
There, below the Ottawa River thunders
and the vast lands of Canada stretch to the horizon.
There, above in that perfect sky
eagles soar together as a symbol of Ojibwa unity.
There, the only sound is the wind that moves his feathers.
______________________
May 24, 2013
Poetry/Free Verse/A Mere Ojibwe Girl
Copyright Protected, ID 13-1072-902-0
All Rights Reserved. Written under Pseudonym.
Submitted to the contest, Mid October 2018
sponsor, Brian Strand
First Place
icy spurs on window panes
windy stars whipping by
appaloosa skies
I had heard about a ...
a writer's group ... in my city
where a writer could recite their poem or short story
on a stage with an audience
I decided on a poem ... of my heritage
~ a feather lost, gliding and drifting, it soars
in the mighty wind, it twirls and swirls
once the 'People' owned all the wilderness ~
I was so nervous and trembled
for days I worked on memorizing the lines of my poem
making all my friends listen
over and over again speaking it to a mirror
with smiles .. and no smiles
~ there, upon a sheer jagged cliff an appaloosa
horse of many colors stands majestic
and this Ojibwe girl gazes under an azure sky ~
we had to listen to several talkers before my turn
they were so good that my heart sank
I would look like a fool ... to my friends
but when my name was announced
I gathered up my 'courage' and strength
and stepped ... on the stage ... standing silent for a moment
~ there, in the mighty wind that roars and howls
eagle feathers in my hair and on my horse flutter
and the vast lands of Canada seek the horizon ~
when I finished reciting my poem
there was a deafening quiet
the audience fallen silent
I take a breath and look around the room
oh, why were people so still ...
and then ... the sound of cheers ring out
and all the audience stands ... to clap
for this Ojibwe girl ...
~ there, above in that cloudless sky canopy
eagles fly ... symbolizing the spirit and strength of the 'People'
and the only sound ... those fluttering feathers in the wind ~
.. and a feather lost ... drifts into the audience
___________________
May 6, 2021
Poetry/Free Verse/the audience falls silent
Copyright Protected, ID 05-1352-902-06
All Rights Reserved, 2021, Constance La France
Written for the Premier contest, The Audience Falls Silent
sponsor, Kai Michael Neumann, Judged 06/02/2021
Retiring Cowboy
He hung up his bridle by his bed on the wall.
His rig is preserved on a stand by the stall.
His old Appaloosa has been turned out to graze.
As he sits in his rocker and dreams of old days.
For years he worked hard herding cattle all day.
He worked hard to earn a poor cowboy’s pay.
There were days he would rise barely bearing the pain.
He would climb in the saddle and hang on to the mane.
Starting out riding drag then flank and then swing.
Then point man a position he wanted more than anything.
The job was hard but it beat the rest.
It didn’t take long till he was the best.
He worked hard to work his way up to trail boss.
He was tough but fair a man no man would cross.
And his horse came to be his very best friend.
They stuck together through thick and through thin.
Hot summer days and winters so cold.
Misery torment and torture untold.
But when it was finally all said and done.
He would never have traded with anyone.
Appaloosa Horses ( Poem )
Bloodlines have influenced breeds
For beauty and performance needs
Native American horses on t.v.
Used decades in western movies
Identified mottled skin note
Colorful leopard spotted coat
Emphasis in the muscling thick
Strong physical characteristics
Defined vertical striped hooves
White sclera eyes have looks improve
Establish an easy cantering
Well behaved, high head holding
Ride with a floaty, pacing trot
Light, airy movements that can stop
Become a judge and see yourself
On my playlist all by itself
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeDDBJWyV8iI-DtHmCYI_d-1hExKZUJgH
By: Doris Anne Beaulieu
Upon a sheer and jagged cliff an Appaloosa horse of many colors stands majestic
under the blazing azure sky. An Ojibwa girl, proud, looks at the beautiful land of
Canada as the mighty wind roars. A feather in her raven long hair quietly moves.
Below the Ottawa River thunders and the vast lands of wilderness stretch to the
horizon. The feather is caught by the blowing breeze and . .
fluttering drifting
it dances in the mighty wind
to and fro it soars
Above in the perfect sky an eagle glides symbolizing the strength of my people,
the Ojibwa. We and our native brothers once owned this land, the rivers, the
trees and the fish. In the end we lost. The only sound is the wind that takes
my beautiful twirling, swirling feather . . .
floating hovering
a ballet in the mighty wind
to and fro it glides
___________________________
April 25, 2015
Poetry/Haibun/The Fluttering Feather
Copyright Protected, ID 04-666-867-25
All Rights Reserved, 2015, Constance La France
Appaloosa, Mustang or Paint
Breeds to ride and love, breeds who ain’t
Broken by pain or heartbreak
But show them a rattlesnake
That horse won’t have much self-restraint
Put Your Best (ONE) Limerick Forward (be like Rico Leffanta)
Sponsored by Andrea Dietrich
February 21, 2023
Fluttering, drifting
to and fro it soars
it dances in the mighty wind
it twirls, it swirls
There
upon a sheer jagged rocky cliff
an Appaloosa horse of many colors stands majestic
There
under this blazing azure sky
an Ojibwa girl looks at the beautiful land of Canada
There
in the mighty wind that roars
a feather lost from her raven hair, quietly moves
There
far below the Ottawa River thunders
and the vast lands of wilderness stretch to the horizon
There
above in a perfect sky
eagles soar, symbolizing "The Peoples" strength
There
in my spirit dream
the only sound is the wind that moves my feather
Fluttering, drifting
to and fro it soars
it dances in the mighty wind
it twirls, it swirls
_______________________
December 9, 2012
Poetry/Verse/The Feather
Copyright Protected, ID 12- 441-546-09
All Rights Reserved, 2012, Constance La France
Pitching a leg across the nether
Of a pretty appaloosa or possibly
A chestnut bay who needs to know
That she’s being ridden by someone
Who will take her through the paces,
Strides both gentle and regulated
By a walk, a canter, a gallop, a sprint
Where she feels all her steps
Light, loose and limber as liquid love
That rains down from a heart who
Gives this mare the greatest rides
Through meadows, across hills
Into the kindness of life filled with
Delights, pleasures, sweetest bliss
Brought to life on the back end
Of a horse who listens to the kindness
Whispered through laughter, light
Chortles felt by the spirit who believes
“cowgirl up” brings plenty of dreams
To life on the back of a mount who needs
Only to be ridden without restriction
By a rider who knows the key to any heart
Is found at the end of a set of reins
Where equine love trots into command
Poetry In Motion Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Matt Caliri
December 23, 2022
Cowboy rides horse cowboy boots in stirrups
Cowboy hat waving in hand, yeehaw it’s grand,
Cowgirl is on the range! Lasso by corral
Appaloosa horse hurrah! Glad he’s a cowhand.
Dreaming of equipage horse-drawn
Carriage with attendants at wedding,
Hoedown rootin’ good time with
Root beer float, now kiss bride in west heading.
Galloping palomino golden tan coat
Rapid pace fast on each stride,
Cream-colored mane and tail fly high
Fair beautiful daughter sure and firm in abide.
Stagecoach rolls on by, near town Apache Junction
Locomotive sporting cowcatcher grille,
Black Stallion feisty and alive; husband’s
Love abounding in firm steadiness still.
Texas longhorn cattle cowherd on the range
Equestrian horseback riders like cowhide,
Head ’um out, move ’um out, rawhide! Open land wander and graze
Riding habit outfit, western sunset love now wide.