dear tall child,
your bones probably don't fit your frame yet;
they shift awkwardly,
and your spine hunches and slopes.
your hands are likely to be dry and grimy,
legs speckled with ant bites
that sting like fire.
spending those arid days snatching lizards off the hot terracotta wall,
next to the withered rose garden belonging to your shouting mother.
unfortunately for you,
the shouting will never stop;
your mother will bleed her vocal chords raw
trying to scare out your soul to place of her own.
there will be so much hardship,
but you will learn so so much.
so much.
to drown the world out,
just think about horses.
she will see you as strange
no matter what you do
just hop in the saddle
tighten the reins, grip the mane,
put your filthy Velcro sneakers into the stirrups,
and think about horses.
you will be a weird girl, it will hurt.
but suffering is just suffering,
and voices are just words.
you will become a strange young man, dear cowboy-
but you will always be that tall child.
a dear,
dear tall child
Categories:
stirrups, child abuse, childhood, gender,
Form: Free verse
Can you hear my heartbeat
To the sound of little feet
Running around me meowing
Like a cat or barking
Can you hear my jilted fears
Pealed away like green pear skins
Rebuked by real and imagined sins
Flipped like a pancake drenched in syrup
Then like a cowgirl in stirrups
Ridden past green trees and tumbleweed
Until the heartbeats aren’t tumbling
Into the abyss of a denied kiss
I can hear it in my ear
Strong steady ready for what comes
Will you be the mystery mahogany inspiring
My hearts beating all odds
Humor me and sing a melody
Share and care dare to be
Red bleeding heart on a sleeve
Categories:
stirrups, art, color, red,
Form: Free verse
In our evolution
we’re ever forced to chart,
with compass and the Master’s rule,
our lonely, needy heart.
Biogenic engineers,
legofederal bankoneers,
psychologic auctioneers:
WHO GOES IN THE STIRRUPS.
By our constitution
we’re challenged from above:
the value of the sexes,
the cost, the price of love.
Categories:
stirrups, conflict, culture, gender, heart,
Form: Rhyme
A little thing descends
Something bigger grew in
little do true blue know
we are always choosing hope and
Life inside of thick thin thighs
Life inside of kiss men or baby's cries
Life a green growth that strives
Or black cancer that I must fight
Life inside silver stirrups
Never the fault of chocolate cherubs
We choose to believe
We share eternity
In a loving embrace
From the purest place
From sin or disgrace
From the men of rape
Life inside stirrups
Light shines my thoughts hurry up
Trying to make me detach
From the current task
Prefer the rider stirrups to these
Of probing and beholding my inner peace.
6/14/2022
Categories:
stirrups, baby, black love, chocolate,
Form: Rhyme
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.
Categories:
stirrups, america, daughter, horse, love,
Form: Rhyme
04/03/2020
Like a child upon a steed
having not a care or need
Sitting high up in the seat
stirrups hold your tiny feet.
Ride along my mighty friend
before the ride comes to an end.
Find your treasure or your gold
Find it soon, before you’re old.
Laughter brings a happy sound
as you ride around, around.
Hold on tight so you don’t miss
the views along this ride of bliss.
Categories:
stirrups, childhood, dream, happiness, happy,
Form: Rhyme
Running wild propelled by echoes of thunderous hooves clip clopping rhyme
A troop of stallions gallop in assonance over fields of pasture in adnomination
Display streams of collective unconsciousness un-trapped by stirrups and reigns
Apposition knows no boundaries when pairing takes part in euphonic neighing
Here in Nirvana they need neither hyperbole nor euphemism to cover lost ground
Para-diastole does not exist in equine paradise as syncope and solecism canter
Karma has no boundaries and parrhesia has lost the shadows of juxtaposed isms
Unsaddled from the weight of the whip the horizon bears no limit for freedom
The herd adheres not to the pathetic fallacy of tamed nature riding roughshod
Over rhetorical questions or self-styled syllepsis of spurs spurned on by clatter
When I look at the feast of mares and fillies following instinct and pure inclination
My path finds their spoor on track to a promised land of inhibition and pleasure
29th March 2020
Categories:
stirrups, celebration,
Form: Rhyme
Smooched in candy apple she pouched her cinnamon lips
The fair had come into town with travellers and wagons
It was that time of the year when dreams would come true
Glittered in mellow fairy dust of innocence and imagination
Lucy was finally old enough to mount the carnival horse
The carrousel took her on a roller coaster ride to heaven
Golden locks mingled with the wild stallions quivering mane
A cow girl on paradise’s tracks to unbound passion and joy
‘More and once again please just for one time’
Ears full of musical aura of unfettered hooves clattered
Popped the drums as they galloped across the wild prairie
As she went dizzy with laughter and the charm of delight
She embraced the withers and bounced up in the saddle
Looked with swelling pride at the crest full of promise
Tiny legs barely reached the stirrups feathered in tussles
‘Better than chocolate sprinkles on coconut iced cream’
A match of tender caress and touch of rocking intuitive trust
Daddy smiled and vowed to never grow up
Categories:
stirrups, beauty,
Form: Free verse
New young female doctor introduces self
Hi. I am Natalie.
I do love a female so I relax.
I am highly suspect of a male doctor.
Who would want to go where no one ever wants to go
To see what no man in his right man would ever want to see
except maybe in a delivery room if they were the daddy.
I place my feet in the stirrups
Waiting for the pinch
Categories:
stirrups, age,
Form: Light Verse
1 ALCOHOL AND POETRY
When I join these two elements together I inebriate
further easily ...
2 AIRHEAD
airhead is a difficult person to deal with, especially
because usually he doesn't realize what he wants
of life...
3 PROFIT DISTURBANCE
Too much lucidity, makes you suffer, makes you cry ... lucidity in this crazy life
in which we live, the illusion is finer ...
4 COMPLIANT
Everything has a limit, occasionally just losing even the
stirrups for order in the mess ...
5 YOU ARE MUSIC ...
Your tone is too loud and your music I can't
sing...
Categories:
stirrups, allegory, allusion, analogy, humorous,
Form: Epigram
Twas the night before Christmas;
As Mrs. Klaus was washing dinner dishes;
Santa is at the workshop;
He’s got a cold, sucking on cough-drop;
While walking through the snow;
Frozen his left foot pinky-toe;
Had too much cough syrup;
Was so dizzy leaving fell on reindeer stirrups?
Up see, daisy Santa what process ya…
To be stumble fall Newton’s second law (ha ha);
Swollen, fatten solid mass net force fallen;
Proportional to a Mack-truck oops Reindeer runnin;
Twas the night before Christmas;
The phone rings an Elf has called her;
As Mrs. Klaus was drying those dishes;
Toymaker say’s Santa’s out he’s trip and fallen;
Like a drunken man who’s no longer standing?
Broken hand, bruised leg blacken eye ,
--oops! guess wasn’t a happy landing;
12/7/19
The Night Before 2 Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Joseph May
Rhyme poetry form only.
Categories:
stirrups, analogy, christmas, confusion,
Form: Rhyme
A Cowboy's Journal
By: Tom Wright
10/10/98
The old corral stands,
silver and smooth from no care.
From years of neglect,
in the crisp mountain air.
Earlier covered with frost
now black and wet from the thaw.
I saddled Sugar Foot, my Mustang,
then searched my vest for a chaw.
Finishing up with my Mustang,
I checked again old Jack.
He was packed out with water,
along with a full winters tack.
It is Molly's first pack trip
and her load fits like a glove.
Now, it's off to the Line Shack,
beyond the ridge top above.
Snow to Sugar Foots belly,
I had to ride through.
With ice frozen to my stirrups,
but what's a Cowboy to do.
I'll keep the fences mended,
even rounding up a stray.
and on cold winter nights,
keep the Wolves at bay.
Then alone at night,
by the fireplace I'll sit.
Listening to the fire talk,
while I whittle and spit.
As Christmas approached
I had myself a real treat.
For I bagged a big Elk
and had fresh camp meat.
Enough meat to last
beyond next springs thaw.
When I'll pack out my animals
and head back down the draw.
Categories:
stirrups, christmas, friendship, horse, winter,
Form: Lyric
she spoke of her man who rode a horse
to date her one night
no carriage in place for her to sit
she smacked the horse’s rear
her man was ridden out of sight.
she spoke of her man who had horse
and wagon on her next date
t’was a bumpy ride because of the trail
he held the stirrups tight but she loosened the hitches
her man was dragged to his endless fate.
she spoke still of another man
who showed up with coach and driver
frolicking as they rode, the driver became amused
the horses galloped and he lost the reigns
sadly she was the only survivor.
she put an ad in the community hall
expressing her taste for an appealing date
she wrote about a possible marriage
but she wouldn’t go out in a horse and carriage
a man showed up with a donkey and a sign
‘do not tailgate”
Categories:
stirrups, funny,
Form: Rhyme
Misty rain fell upon those paying their respects
did not impede the cavalcade commencing
Fellow soldiers followed the horse drawn wagon
headed to the burial grounds of sacrifice.
A fallen soldier was laid to rest
No rainbow can alter the gray skies that cover
A burst of sun will not lessen the pain that stifles
Valor among men, honor to all.
Inscribed grave stones with bronze markers at the side
Those who rest here will never be forgotten for their service
Freed us from the foes but we lost our men who fought for us
We now fight the tears from that sacrifice.
Their bravery was exemplified, our flag still waves
Freedom rings but freedom brings back the wagon
Horse leading with empty saddle and boots in the stirrups
Onlookers respectfully honoring the flag draped casket
Where freedom rest, soldiers also lie in rest
Our nation gained victory but yet they died
They united to fight so we shall live
Freedom took our men, wagons continue to roll by
Categories:
stirrups, military, remembrance day,
Form: Free verse
After the skin, the corti
were trying to measure the silence
before the cloudburst.
The white noises were
very accurate, disciplined shouts
ready to pull down the stapes.
A cochlear fall from the
great heights of vesuvian peak.
No matter how big was the chasm.
You have given up yourself
to broken stirrups. The planets
begin the dance without the god Apollo.
The road never ends. The
rider stands alone to ride the moon
gliding over the empty sea.
Satish Verma
Categories:
stirrups, art,
Form: ABC
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