Best Colorado Poems
Splendor of soft shoulders
caressed by sinking sun
Out my window the western slope
of the thick coated Rocky Mountains
Once upon a clear cold Colorado Chrstmas
purple brushed horizon flecked with gold
filled my picture window
Mesmerized I stood staring
at this huge canvas hung in the Louver
God's and goddesses swirling about
in a swath of psychedelic clouds
refracting the colors of slow dimming light
Mt. Olympus in my living room
I was seventeen living in a dream
high up in the sandstone cliffs
carved out by the west's Mississippi
Nature, sweet mother of mine, purging
my childhood nightmare with sunsets
mountains, rivers and springs
On the banks of that fat river below
I listened to nothing but hope
Even in the echo of crackling ice
Even when she froze everything still
she made life beautiful
Never ever did she
punish my anger
but kissed it away with her love
with forests, flowers, birds and trees
She gentled my soul when I held her hand
and took me back from the jails and hospitals
every time I ran
Seventeen, fresh from my last disaster
Christmas Eve eight hundred miles
from expulsion and friends I missed
my dreaded return to the last place I left
There she was…
… arms spread clear across the valley
to hug me… her renegade child
My mother, bless her heart--
--wasn't happy to see her headache return
But my "other" mother was.. yeah
I took refuge in the painted cliffs and canyons that surrounded me
and when I came down to the valley floor
I would stop before the bridge
and walk down to listen to the big water's mighty roar…
It never stopped rolling and never ran dry
despite all obstacles
and neither did I
My savior doesn't have a birthday
but I will celebrate my hope in "His"
Just that warm sun
slinking like a coyote
over the western horizon
that Christmas Eve
is all the hope I'll ever need
"Howdy to you all from Colorado! This is Cletus Schlunk reporting,
Where gossip is fair and balanced and there is little or no distorting!
It's the home of the Rockies, Broncos, Nuggets and potholes galore,
And old mining towns like Leadville and Cripple Creek, full of western lore!"
"Hordes of gaping tourists from all over come to visit the Centennial State,
So I collared one to get his views and his comments to you I'll relate."
"Sir, could you spare a few minutes of your time for a little chat?
Tell me where you're from and where did you get that silly hat?"
"Ah'm frum th' great state uv Texus an' that's a hunder'd dollar Stetson son.
Now, don'tcha go a-makin' sport uv me - ah've cum here ta have a little fun!"
"Be forewarned that when sipping a cool Coors, respect the altitude here."
"Yup! Ah've figgered out that jes' one uv 'em will set ya' on yer rear!"
"What do you think of our magnificent mountains reaching for the sky?"
"Shucks! We used to have 'em in Texus an' they wuz nearly twice as high!
But ah'm here ta tell ya', they wuz flattened out years an' years ago.
That's why Texus is th' biggest state in the lower 48, I want ya'all ta know!"
"Have you fished our pristine streams, many that are off the beaten track?"
"Yup! Caught a 30-incher - he wuz a Texus minner so I throwed 'im back!"
"Well, folks, he out-bragged me so I brought the interview to a hasty cease!
Till next time, from Colorful Colorado, I wish each of you happiness and peace!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Placed No. 2 in the "Reporting Live On The Soup" Contest - July 2010
A brilliant harvest moon hangs beneath the ebon Colorado sky.
Scudding clouds dare not darken its lustrous glow - tho' they often try!
Silhouetted against the moon are geese winging to warmer destinations,
Mysteriously guided by That Master Compass in perfect V formations!
The moon spreads a coat of silver on lakes and rushing streams below.
Yonder, majestic Pikes Peak gleams with a crown of freshly fallen snow!
White tail deer peer shyly from the shadows of golden aspen groves.
Magnificent elk graze in yon valley 'neath the harvest moon in droves!
Lovers, young and old are spellbound by the harvest moonlight's trance.
Mr. Moon has a special knack for setting the tone for love and romance!
They hold hands strolling along moonlit trails to reminisce and dream,
Their glowing faces brightened by the harvest moon's mellow beam!
Families bundle up against the chill to enjoy hay rides and wiener roasts,
And toast marshmallows over roaring fires, telling tales of scary ghosts!
Wizened "hooty" owls emit their throaty moans adding to the eerie scene!
The moon beams benignly o'er Colorful Colorado giving to all a sheen!
When autumn winds begin to blow and trees stand bare and so austere,
We welcome the warming glow of the harvest moon in our hemisphere!
Alas, tho' the harvest moon graces our skies only in the autumn of the year,
The Creator will delight us again come next October - that you need not fear!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
Colorado Cowboy Saga
Grandad became a cowboy,
Though born in the mountains of Tennessee,
His family moved to Colorado –
Just when he turned three;
Fleeing from the Civil War’s animosity
Traveled in a wagon ‘cross the wide prairies
Four brothers taught the youngest child
How to ride and brand
How to feed the cattle
How to take a stand
How to rope, how to ranch
And care for the land
He grew up tall and strong
Like the mountains of his heartbeat
In winter and in summer
They called his restless feet
And Grandad knew the mountains
Like city kids know streets
And with his pinto pony
Rode the mail every day
Nederland to Central City
Oh, he knew the way –
Sometimes frozen in the saddle
For warm weather he prayed.
Drove the cows to Denver
From high country fields
With sharp whistles and with yells
He stayed on the cattle’s heels
Through the cut at Boulder
For the sweet autumn grass revealed
When I was a little girl
On grandad’s lap I’d sit
He’d tell me of his boyhood
Cowboy tales true grit
How he loved his cowboy life
Maybe he fudged a bit?
The city was my birthplace
I knew and loved it well
But in my heart grandad planted
A cowboy song to tell
Though he dreamed of bustling cities
His heart bewitched by a cowboy spell.
True story.
Even though my grandfather became an entrepreneur, he never forgot his childhood as a cowboy in the mountains and prairies of Colorado.
1-31-21
Contest: Cowboy Poetry
Sponsor: Line Gauthier
FROM COLUMBINE TO COLORADO
So he gazes at his arsenal with stars in his eyes
as his neighbors see not through his disguise
he lives and breaths all alone
and he has a collection of bloody clothes and bullet ridden bone
he thinks, he ponders and wonders what havoc he can create next
as he can recite Satan's words by chapter and verse
every day his delusions and illusions become worse
as I wonder about this man's psyche and curse
his targets are little children, the elderly and infirm
and this man is literally a human germ
contaminating this earth with bullets and a gun
and he's not happy until his sick agenda is done
so he gazes at his pistols, his rifles and all
waiting for his illness' voice to call
until he's killed and wounded the maniac is not satisfied
and that's why this morning for his victims I cried
© 2012....copyright PHREEPOETREE ~free cee!~
Silently, pensively, I watch the crystal waters from above.
The air is crisp, and the sun is warm as the birds sing their tender, sweet songs of love.
I can feel the mist dancing up from the waves.
Surrounding me fully, their symphony I crave.
The rocks are shining beneath a surface of green.
Such breathtaking beauty very few have seen.
The grasses sway gently to and fro,
And I feel the magic continue to grow.
Some say that Heaven lies far from here,
But to stand by the water, one would swear it was near.
The people who come here, so euphoric they quiver,
When they behold the sites of the Colorado River.
A PLACE CALLED BEAUTIFUL CONTEST
Sponsor: Janis Thompson
Mountains of Colorado
On a mount up above towards the peak of the pike,
Sets the sun in the west way far up in the clear sky,
The blue and pink mixed within each other alike,
Snow-capped and white-laced wrapped lifted up high.
As the mighty bald eagle soars beautifully overhead,
His white head full of majesty with robust feathers,
Brilliant orange talons watching as his prey all fled,
I look all around me and see multi-colored Heather’s,
Pikes Peak rises over fourteen thousand feet high,
A rocky heap looking like it’s touching sweet heaven,
As I watch in wonder a tender tear falls from my eye,
The remarkable sights could become an obsession.
Far in the distance lives the Garden of the God’s,
Rusty-amber colored mountains full of wonder,
The stature of these monuments may seem quite odd,
Because tourists can walk through them and under.
A famous attraction is known as the “Kissing Camels”,
Two peaks of the mounts connected smooching in love,
Last year on our vacation I told my grandson Daniel,
It must be a love affair gifted from God up above.
The most unique mountains seen in North America,
And has captured tourists to see Mother Nature so great,
I’ve educated my daughter from the Encyclopedia Britannica,
Wow, Colorado sure holds beauty within its dignified state!
Date Written: June 17, 2016
The valley so far and wide below
Linden rocks on to capture the show
Bluebells ring to take a picture
mountain lions roam a permenant fixture
And on we trek up the valley
It kind of looks like Cali
And the birds chirp and sing
But oh, does that hot sun sting
Oh look, there's a beautiful sight
Purple mountains with such height
And the time to look at the flat mesas sublime
Let's sit down at the picnic table and have a diet lime
In the green shade now at noon time
Is it a crime to see such lush beauty on not even a dime?
Golden, Aspen leaf
spirit of painted horses
Hewn logs Cabin, fall
Colorado winters are rather nice,
Except for that confounded snow and ice!
But come the next spring,
The season will bring,
Balmy weather and sunshine to suffice.
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
No matter where you are
You need 12 layers
Because the sun is shining and it’s raining
At the same time
in colorado
the geese recall the last time
we threw crumbs on pond
5/6/2014
Colorado is renown fer the majestic Rockies a-reachin' fer the sky.
Now, 'tis better known fer sittin' 'round, smokin' pot and gittin' high!
Visitors used to come to see Pikes Peak and The Garden Of The Gods.
Nowadays, they seek out cannabis shops wherein to spend their wads!
Some fellers gave up plantin' corn and melons to grow marijuana,
To reap the profits sellin' maryjane to folks a-seekin' their nirvana!
Now, in lieu of the scent of pine, the odious odor of pot pervades the air.
Glassy-eyed dudes stroll about pollutin' the air without a worldly care!
I'm chagrined to travel out-of-state sportin' a Colorado license plate.
Makes me real 'proud' to be called a denizen of The Centennial State!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
(c) 2014 All Rights Reserved
I've ventured far from Indiana, the home soil of my birth,
To many exotic and exciting places all about this earth.
I've seen majestic Mount Fuji from the Kanto Plain of Tokyo.
But I'd rather marvel at Pikes Peak right here in Colorado!
I've traveled the rugged Khyber Pass in ancient Pakistan,
And saw sumo wrestling and cherry blossoms in Japan.
The alabaster city of Casablanca I've visited in Morocco,
But I'd rather tour old ghost towns right here in Colorado!
Magnificent Mount Vesuvius I've seen across Naples Bay.
In Holland I've seen windmills and tulips in vast display.
I've seen the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano.
'Tis more thrilling to see eagles soar the pristine skies of Colorado!
In Bermuda I've lolled upon the beaches of pink sand,
And have viewed the towering Alps of Switzerland.
Mayan ruins I've scampered over in Old Mexico,
But I'd rather explore the ruins of Mesa Verde in Colorado!
I've climbed the Tower of Pisa rewarded with a view divine,
And visited the quaint Principality of Liechtenstein.
Some folks strive for a lifetime seeking their El Dorado.
I've found mine right here in Colorful Colorado!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Placed No. 4 Tracie's " Where in the World..." Contest - Dec 2011
It had been a hot and dusty week chasin' them wily steers thro' the chaparral.
And, later, sweatin, cussin' and brandin' them wild critters in the old corral!
It was Saturday night and he was headin' for Rocky Ford to have a little fun.
His jeans was janglin' with his pay from the boss for the work that he'd done!
He drove down the dusty road in his Ford pickup truck, a beat-up '86 One-fifty.
Clad in his best jeans, Stetson hat and Tony Lama boots - he looked mighty nifty!
In the rear window was his fishin' rod and Henry repeatin' rifle reposin' on a rack.
His old huntin' hounds Pete 'n' Spooks enjoyed the ride cavortin' in the back!
He longed to sate his thirst with Colorado Kool Aid, commonly known as Coors,
At his favorite waterin' hole, Cliff's Saloon, the one with the swingin' doors!
He figgered on kickin' up his heels dancin' with the gals as the night wore away!
He reckoned he could even afford a steak with the beer on his meager pay!
There was a honky-tonk band with a pianer, drums, fiddle and 'electric git-tar,
And Rita wailin' "he done me wrong" songs as Cliff dispensed spirits at the bar!
The cowboy was havin' a rip-roarin' time but Cliff announced last call for booze.
The cowboy spent his last few bucks orderin' for his pals a final round of brews!
It was nigh two AM when he got to his truck and roused his sleepin' dogs.
They paid him no mind at all and kept on snoozin' like a pair of oaken logs!
He weaved his way along the dusty road on his way back to the dreary ranch,
Anticipatin' next Saturday night and Colorado Kool Aid for his thirst to quench!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
(c) All Rights Reserved