To most city slickers I suppose
it’s a little hard for them to tell
the difference between a cowboy
and just a plain farmer. in the dell
Well one uses a horse and a rope
the other drives a tractor and plow
One smells like a fancy pickup truck
The other like the ass of a cow
Categories:
farm horse, poems, poetry,
Form: Cowboy Poetry
Blue skies above,
Green grass below.
Hot springs still,
Cool waters flow.
Wind blows soft,
Trees stand tall.
Clouds drift by,
Warm rains fall.
Corn stalks sway,
Bull frogs croak.
Squirrels take shelter,
Wheat fields soak.
Sun peeks through,
Clover smells sweet.
Creek beds swell,
Milk cows eat.
Red petals bask,
Horses roam free.
Dogs bark loud,
Rabbits will flee.
Birds take flight,
Day moves past.
Full moon rises,
Dark shadows cast.
Distant stars twinkle,
Night-time ends.
Amber shade hovers,
New dawn begins.
Categories:
farm horse, bird, dog, farm, horse,
Form: Rhyme
Soon, I’ll be going to the county fair
Late in August, it makes its return
I’ll be showing my prize-winning mare.
Being an exhibitor, I don’t pay a fare,
Which, of course, is of no great concern
Soon I’ll be going to the county fair.
I’ll be showing her with plenty of flair
So, the judges will be able to discern,
I’ll be showing my prize-winning mare.
If there’s a stud, she will have an affair
If he’s a prize-winner, she cannot spurn
Soon I’ll be going to the county fair!
Her mane shines, its long-flowing hair
How to groom it well, I’ve had to learn
I’ll be showing my prize-winning mare.
I hope to make some new friends there
There’ll be some prize money to earn
Soon, I’ll be going to the county fair
I’ll be showing my prize-winning mare.
Written August 3, 2022
Submitted to "2022 Marathon Mile 13" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Mark Toney
Categories:
farm horse, animal, farm, horse, success,
Form: Villanelle
I count my strides
Since I know how to ride
The idea is to figure out a problem
And if I do it with grace, I can honestly say I got em.
With every fence I take
I really hope I can make
Since a rail goes down
Everybody in the arena will have a frown
But when I do it clear
What do I hear?
But the clapping cheers
Of those enjoying being here
It is the Grand Prix with fences so high
That my horse and I
Will hang on tight giving it a nice try
After everyone goes
It is off to the jump off to see who is best in show
Where the spectacle turns into a race
If all the fences stay in their place
So, after the class presents a winner
We go enjoy dinner
Reflecting on what was done
And knowing it was quite fun
Categories:
farm horse, animal, autumn, boxing day ,
Form: Rhyme
And the Rest is...Restful/Restless
tonight
At last, he sleeps
beneath the stars and,
for once, beneath the grass.
tonight
at last, she sleeps
beneath the stars and
for once, above her horse.
tonight
One sleeps peacefully
one, fitfully.
One free,
one free of free.
tonight
Both sleep.
tomorrow
One rises,
one sleeps
a mother,
her horse.
tonight
One dreams of tomorrow.
tonight
One dreams of yesterdays.
Categories:
farm horse, death, death of a
Form: Free verse
I'm here tonight
to stand in the ache.
The ache of hollow,
the empty of the not
simply empty; rather,
the empty of the
recently full.
The silent ache of
missingness, of quiet.
Before the ghosts have
risen, before the
memorial stones are
set. Before the cards arrive.
Before the flowers
are vased to wilt.
I'm here tonight
to stand in the ache.
Of what so recently had
been.
Of who was.
I'm here tonight
to stand and weep
and shudder. I'm here
tonight because
you
are not.
Categories:
farm horse, death, death of a
Form: Free verse
The unexpected heavy thud
of netted hay on solid wood.
My horses snort and sigh and chew,
as glistening cobwebs sway with dew. There is comfort in their rhythmic chomp, on seeing me they grunt and stomp. Stamping an insistent need for feed,
all eyes upon me fixed by greed.
I mix the chaff, the beet, the grain,
as stable gates take up the strain
of thick set chest and plunging neck while I do bend to their call and beck. Our daily ritual now in full swing,
the rubber skips I'll lift and bring
'till steady chomp and grind return,
in the warm sweet smelling peace I yearn.
Categories:
farm horse, animal, farm, horse,
Form: Narrative
Along a country a dusty country road
There is a lot to explore
I see a large house on the field
Beside the home was a vegetable field
With a huge scarecrow at watch
To chase away all the birds
On the other side - I saw
A fence area with a white fence
In the coral were two creatures
A beautiful white horseI thought
Beside the horse was a donkey
They were standing side by side
No sound came from either one
They were staring at the road
I thought it the stranges thing
Categories:
farm horse, animal, farm, horse,
Form: Free verse
fable
Farmer Brown never works on Sunday,
for Sunday is special and they go to church.
Two horses in his barn know of kindness
for of kindness, the Browns talk a lot.
Each Sunday one of their two horses,
one horse drives their wagon to church.
The kids are nice kids, Mrs. Brown is joyful, too
joyful and compassionate like Jesus.
This Sunday, the oldest horse stayed back
stayed back with a weak leg to rest.
Looking out the barn, Ole Pokey saw the sheep,
wild and wooly sheep had broke through the gate.
Knowing how important the sheep are …
the sheep are the Brown’s livelihood,
Old Pokey wakes the lazy dog with a start
with a start to start rounding up sheep.
As the family returned from their worship
worship of Almighty God, they found
their horse limping, but pacing the open corral
corralling the sheep back inside.
Children, this story I tell to show you
to show you that kindness to animals pays.
Old Pokey was hurting but that didn’t matter,
what mattered was a love for his master.
Categories:
farm horse, family, farm, horse,
Form: Verse
My Molly May
I had a little pony
I called her Molly May
So often I would venture out
And feed her bales of hay.
So then she’d frolic
Kick her heels up high
Round and round she would run
Looking sweet as she passed by.
She’d run until she was worn out
Then to the stable she would go
I’d bed her down then for the night
My love for her each day would grow
She was my, cutest Molly may
This pony always made my day.
25 September 2014
Categories:
farm horse, animal, farm, horse, may,
Form: Sonnet
Several times we took the kids
To vacation on Grandpa’s farm
Many a time they’d be walking around
With kittens they found in the barn
Grandpa arranged for a pony to ride
Or to pull them around in a shay
Riding a horse was just so much fun
They took turns and did it each day
I watched my youngest, as she took a ride
The horse bucked and she hit the ground
Just mad as can be, she got back on
Kicked the horse, then road all around
When the cousins came to Grandpa’s farm
The barn was a great place to play
They always seemed to have such fun
Just playing around in the hey
My kids took three ducks back home
Those Muscovy’s really did grow
We had to let them loose at a pond
So big that they just had to go
Just this last year, these kids of mine
Who now have kids of their own
Returned once more to Grandpa’ farm
It’s different when you’re all grown
Now they get to see their own kids play
Doing the same things they used to do
Nothing has changed, for kids it’s the same
Your kids love the farm just like you
Categories:
farm horse, people, farm, horse,
Form: Quatrain