Best Coyote 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
A lonesome coyote howled deep in the wood
And a MOST unwise owl somehow misunderstood
Oh, alas and alack!
She rashly hooted back
(And she hooted as hard as she possibly could)
"Who the heck heeds my howl, for god's merciful sake?
Could this perhaps be my potential life mate?"
..."Give a hoot who you hoot at
if you don't know just who 'dat
You hoot at!" screeched the owl a wee bit too late
The gossip that followed defied explanation!
Squirrels scolded scathing and righteous damnation
The eagle screamed from his peak
"Don't even show us your beak!"
(An owl with a tarred and feathered reputation)
The coyote's good name turned muddy and mucky
Rumor spread like the plague so he never got lucky
"Your character is fowl"
Hitting up on an owl?"
(Last I heard he migrated to Kentucky)
It’s cold here in Central Texas
Winter has laid its hand upon us
The night is clean and pure
With just a whisper of oak and mesquite fires
Burning on the hilltops
And villages of old German hopes
The coyotes are calling
Packs move in the night
Instinctive without knowing the reason
They find their way into town
Old men with rifles sit on porches waiting
But nearly always miss
For winter is the friend of the coyote
And the bones of men
Are appendages meant for warmer climates
Civilized cravings or hunger drives them here
Or maybe it’s just an Comanche tear
That fell in this place
And stained the ground forever
What ever it is I welcome them here
For they are clean and pure
Of what burdens men
Wile E. Coyote
would wear Acme “floatie”
wings so he could swoop from mountain bluffs,
but always crashed below to silent puffs.
The Road Runner,
like a tail gunner,
would down Wile E. into the deep
valley floor with his trademark “meep meep!”
September 5, 2021
Cleritoons Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Joseph May
Gray brown coat hidden by the dark
slinking through each stark shadow
a lone howl caught and repeated
they hunt together this night
tracking their prey with sharp noses
following a rabbits track
For the Contest "Night Creatures"
01/18/15
The Coyote #3
By Linda Rutherford
For years, you have been trying to catch that elusive bird.
In your cartoons, we have never heard a single word.
Warner Brothers decided to give the late Mel Blanc a break.
With no dialogue, there were many foolish steps you would take.
That Acme Company must have made a fortune off you.
You failed at every single attempt you would do.
Each fly ball you hit never left the ballpark.
With rockets, catapults, and bombs, you kept missing your mark.
The lousiest luck hit you in each episode.
That roadrunner kept zooming down the desert road.
With each failure, you kept coming back the next day.
Give it up, coyote. Roadrunners do not taste good anyway.
Her sharp nail cut away the muscle from the bone
Each tormented scream of his was heard by her and him alone
He panted between screams and shouted, “Do you know who your father is?”
“It was the medicine man and I’m his son, you brother, please”
“I… know,” she whispered, “Now catch your breath, I want you alert,”
“Because this is where things are going to really hurt.”
The pain he felt from the boiling water sent him into a blackness so thick
A blackness he could feel against his skin that made him sick
At least the pain was gone, he thought he was dead
Until he heard her voice echo in his head
"Come back, come back to reality," it said
He heard whimpering and cries
From the demons cowering with “I’m glad it’s you,” teary fire red eyes
Just before, he was dragged back to consciousness
That moment he would dell on as a painless heavenly bliss
His nose was filled with the stench of his own flesh
He threw up at the sight of his bloody chest
The excruciating pain reminded him of reality afresh
This time he lay there, he was not alone
There were a thousand of his tormented tribesmen and she was sitting on a throne
Next to her was an eagle and a bear riddled with maggots to the bone
They were in the land of the gods, a hell he would call his new home
The village lies desolate, a village that once thrived full cheer
It took one little mistake which imprisoned with fear
And one by one they began to disappear
This is the story I was told by a man
Who hides in the town begging for food, when ever he can
I don’t know where he goes or where he has been
But since last month he disappeard… never to be seen
** Sorry P.D I didn't know how to end it but there is your Coyote**
Although the kiss was brief
The sensation seem to linger,
His eyes still closed when he felt a pain
As she ran the razor sharp nail of her finger
His eyes popped open as he looked at his chest
She hushed him and stroked his hair while whispering “rest”
He found that he was laying on the floor
Surrounded by snow, his chest was bloody and gore
“What you doing?” he begged
“Hush I said.”
“All will be revealed in time,”
“Rest you’re now mine.”
He panicked and tried desperately to move
But could not, as if his body had been removed
She sat next to him as her tail caressed his face
The scent of a woman was pleasurable, her tail like a silky lace
She spoke “ Do you remember long time ago,”
“The beginning of your people’s sorrow?”
“Yes,” he replied
The reality of his situation dawned on him as he deeply sighed
“The sacrifice should have been from the chief’s fruits not a bearer,”
“Yes,” he replied, “A male child not female that’s what brought our terror.”
“What Happened to Little Irit?” she asked
He hesitated for a while, “She was taken by Coyote,” he said at last
“Probably eaten, how should I know.”
She whispered “That was not so.”
“I am Irit the sacrifice, not little anymore,” “They now call me Irma.”
Child of Coyote, Goddess of Devolma”
“Although you killed my father, his spirit lives in me”
She straddled him, sat on his belly leaned forward and said “Look in to my eyes and
see the fate I have for thee”
Her eyes were pools of fire
As he saw his fate, the terror made him scream out and perspire
Her fingernails slowly pushed under his chest deep inside
Slowly tearing the skin open wide
He screamed but his body did not move
He passed out, she stopped and waited until he was fully alert before continuing the
skin removal
“Medicine man where is the one that should have been given in my place?”
“Show haste and I might spare the rest of you and your face.”
The pain was to much to bare and thought he would die at that moment in time
But her words echoed in his pain “YOU ARE MINE”
“His in hiding in the great towns,” he screamed
The exposed muscles to the air was like no other pain but she had hot water on the
fire which steamed
“Hush, this is only the beginning for you medicine man she whispered….
To be continued….
Ten years past since Coyote deceased
The land became fruitful, with the help of a new priest
It was the time of the crescent moon
When the boys would be sent out across the desert dune
To kill a coyote and return with the skin
And from that day forth their life as a man would begin
On this particular occasion the crescent moon shone bright
Casting shadows of the boys as the priest bless then in the light
One at a time they were sent in different directions
With a two inch blade for their protection
As they wondered off into the dark, out of sight
Suddenly their screams brought a chill to the air and the tribe was consumed by
fright
The medicine man rushed to their aid
Carrying his crescent moon shaped blade
Behind him were the tribesmen, twenty strong
To back him up incase anything went wrong
They found the boys laying, in a row
Alive but in a lifeless trance surrounded by snow
The ground was hot but around them as cold as ice
Everything was methodical and precise
The medicine man stood for a while looking afar
He saw a female figure near the missionary camp called “The Starr”
The ordered the men to take the boy back to the camp
As he walked off into the night just with a night lamp
He reached a huge boulder
When the air became colder
His curiosity overcame his fear as the female figure drew nearer.
He called out to it to identify itself
As she pounced majestically onto an icy shelf
She said you will remember who I am
Once a female sacrifice which should have been a man
He lifted the light to see her form
Her body perfect, a picturesque goddess, however, a bit pale
And around the thigh curled and uncurled her coyote tail
Her face, a face that every woman would admire
Except for the coyote fangs, he found that she was his desire
Like perfect mountains were her firm pink breasts
Her belly button the shape of a moon crescent was what intrigued him, his thought
confessed.
She moved close slowly and touched him with a hand that was cold
But the touch made him feel a warmth and he knew his heart was sold
To the desire to have and to hold
He kissed her gently and he felt more bold
To be continued….. P.D. Pt2
The medicine man lifted up a baby girl
To the heavens like a cherished rare pearl
He called upon the gods to send a spirit
To posses the babe they named Little Irit
He enters a trance chanting in a voice that was throaty
Summoning up the cursed fiery eyed Coyote
Before the beast he lay Little Irit on a bed of leaves
A sacrifice to rekindle the gods favour, in which his tribe believes
He walks away with no remorse
As the child is left for the Coyote’s main course
It’s an hour later that the medicine man returns
The sacrifice is accepted by the evidence or earth that burns
Medicine man enlightens the chief by the light of crescent moon
That Cursed Coyote has lifted their gloom
The Chief calls the elders to make a great feast
In honour of the fiery eyed cursed beast
When the villagers were drunk and all well fed
They sat round the campfire telling stories before bed
Then suddenly out of the fire, cursed Coyote pounced causing fear and dread
As he slowly gnawed off the medicine man’s head
The chief ordered every man to kill the beast
After the battle, Coyote lay dying and around him lay 150 deceased
Coyote said to the chief, “Your son’s lives will I claim,”
“For the little life you sacrificed, you will all feel my pain.”
The chief cut the Coyote’s head and mounted it on high
For all those to see as they walked on by
If you go there you will see an inscription explaining the reason why
They thought, that was the end of the curse and Coyote had to die
But the head of Coyote would bring a curse that would make the village cry…
To be continued…. ( for P.D. My good friend )
CANIDS
The Fox
with cat-like slit eyes
lurking near the hen house. . . .
meow-less creature
Chihuahua-like ears
catch a sound in the bushes. . . .
hens can rest easy
a small rat scurries
with that vixen in pursuit . . .
it’s fast-food tonight
Coyotes
song of the desert -
long howls declare “I am here”. . . .
mice and rabbits hide
barking dogs in threes
unlucky mice collected. . . .
live practice for cubs
yippy yippy yip
heard among those happy cubs. . .
celebration time
The Pack
the pack starts its hunt
mountains rise up before them. . .
thirty miles to go
in dark night - dog fight
one alone - tail stands erect. . . .
yellow eyes back off
wolf faces grinning
twenty pounds of meat for each. . . .
like one hundred burgers
For PD's Inner Animal Contest:
for fox, coyote, wolf haiku
The Wolf
The wolf guards her brood,
Bones of trespassers before,
Death to the unwarned!
My snarl says it all,
The wolf rules this land, no doubt,
Tread lightly, my friend.
The lone wolf unleashed,
Don’t trust the strange traveler,
Trust is never free.
The Fox
The fox senses spring,
The hound is too tired to fight,
Conflict delayed, friends.
The hound hides in wait,
"How smart are you, Miss Foxy?".
Nature in action.
The fox loves to play,
The hound takes his role to heart,
Frustration sets in.
The Coyote
The coyote sleeps,
Wild pheasants roam peacefully,
Hunger soon brings death.
Sunset brings brown death,
The rabbit tastes too gamey,
A nice change of pace.
A cry in the night,
The coyote is a force,
Mutual respect.
Original work written for
The Contest:
“PD’s INNER ANIMAL” ¤¤ 7th Place ¤¤
By: Samual Ronthorpe
If you enjoyed this, I have an expansion to the "Fox" section of this poem, it is titled, "Miss Foxy and Hound".
The Fox:
1. the blare of the horn
snooty hooves of fire red coats...
panting for my life
2. briar rabbit ears
twisting in my angry grip...
more tall tales are told
3. a hen in my mouth
a farmer without his gun...
life can be so good
The Wolf:
1. silver sinews coil
full moon permits me to speak...
shivers for all men
2. my proud bloody coat
clings to young Navaho skin...
tales of my demise
3. the grind of tractors
growl grief to my amber eyes...
leave my land alone
The Coyote:
1. mangy vermin shriek
pelts darken with scarlet smear...
ranchers open fire
2. mere morsels to munch
lupine snap shears of warning...
always last in line
3. roy rodgers singing
cactus cattle and trail dust...
my chorus off key
The Fox 1
Crab holes on the bank….
Furry trap inserted in ,
Wonder blunder ends.
The Fox 2
Thick bushes distant….
Fox nose moves among the twigs to
Get a prey vanquished.
The Fox 3
The fox howls at night….
Trumpet of win over
A dewy-eyed rabbit.
The Wolf 1
Lamb in the pasture….
From the darkness of forest
Death jumps upon fast.
The Wolf 2
Wood smiles in full moon….
Wolf eyes glare among foliage,
Savage beauty lures.
The Wolf 3
Marauding wolf steps….
The soul dances wildly, and
Brute taste oozes out.
The Coyote 1
The distant coyote….
Pointed ears and sharp claws are
Coming to the end.
The Coyote 2
The coyote walks alone….
Seclusion of the woods, but
Evaded though followed.
The Coyote 3
Night howl pierces spring….
Ecstatic movements on hush,
The coyote mounts high.
(For ‘My Inner Animal Contest’ by P. D.)
FABIYAS M V
A wizard of wild
Seasonal changes his world
Sly and cunning games
Open fields are home
To always play till days end
Hunting more than sport
A flash of movement
Traces of his whereabouts
Are scarcely a trail.
Magician of beast
Blending one within his own
Timeless enchantment
A graceful harshness
A beautiful wilderness
Harsh environments
An eerie silence
Approaching from the shadows
Cloaked in mystery.
Fearless by nature
Radiant energy bounds
An essence of one
Playful and naughty
Shadows of monsters lurking
Elected by force
A challenge to live
Surviving in modern days
Resilient by far.
Written by: Shannon Deane
Written for: P.D. 's Inner Animal Contest
Sponsored by: Destroyer Poet