Hope. Wish. Dream. Be. * Writer, Educator, Teaching Artist, Creative, Muse Maker, Rebel with a Cause (the Arts), Risk Taker, Adventurer, Traveler, Story Miner, Oversharer * Journal Your Journey
Buy this print, Cowboy with Rope at my Red Bubble shop for $2.80. Click here.
Hallmark doesn’t make cowboy cards like this: authentic and real, straight from the world’s largest outdoor rodeo — Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Whenever I visit Silk, a horse that has a pasture across from a local park in town, I feel so serene. This horse is twenty-five years old and survived Hurricane Floyd. She swam out of her flooded pasture, as some folks who lived in a house near her pasture, unlatched her gate. Every time I visit her, I think of her swimming in her flooded 3 acre pasture. She defines grace. She loves apples and carrots too. Her owner works as an accountant for a business across the street from my house.
Silk in Spring
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” – Winston Churchill
Feeding apples with my son to my favorite horse
The only negative is there are many fire ant hills. In fact, on this trip my son was digging in one of them thinking he had discovered a great dirt/sand pile. Thankfully, he did not get bit. I actually took him out here when he was a baby and just learning to walk and he didn’t get bit, even though he was barefoot.
Isn’t she a beauty!
“Horses make a landscape look beautiful.” – Alice Walker
My friend coming over so we can talk.
Silk meeting Ben for the first time
“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and freedom.” – Sharon Ralls Lemon
This poem, Mystic, was originally posted on my website, http://www.meganoteri.wordpress.com, that was dedicated to all things rodeo. I recently made the website password protected to prevent further photo piracy. I am figuring out what to do about that website. Lots of left brain stuff has to happen before I make my next move with that website. So, for now, we will continue our right brain magic here at memomuse. Oh, how I love the right brain!
For the record, I used to be a Special Education teacher (I was a teacher for 13 years — now I am a stay-at-home mom and freelance writer and photographer), and when I had to get IEP (Individual Education Plan) paperwork ready for IEP meetings, I was a left brained rock star. I do have a left brain, and a whole brain, but I love me some right brain muse, where color and poetry seeps out like a river running wild, wrapping itself elegantly around a mountain. So, with that being said, here is a poem I wrote in 2009 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, as the last of the rodeo trailers, cowboys, cowgirls, horses, and people left Frontier Park, when Cheyenne Frontier Days ended. The photo of this beautiful horse (sepia print) I named Mystic, was one of the last horses in the stalls. She and I had ourselves a right brained conversation.
I love horses! What I appreciate and love even more, are the people who take care of them.
It is a lot of work to take care of a horse. A friend of mine (shout out TJ) recently was up all night, sleeping on and off in her barn, taking care of and loving her horse, who had an injury. So this is a shout out to all horse lovers and for the people who take care of horses.
and the next time they’ll see each other at The Daddy
horses hold patience while feeding
and an intangible sadness calms the lull
off in the distance are
rodeo cowboys driving down long winding roads
to another ride
another rose
under a sunset somewhere across Western landscape
Poem by Megan Oteri
April is National Poetry Month (this post was originally written in April 2012). Cowboy Poetry week is April 15 – 21. Do you know any cowboy poets or cowgirl poets? I am looking for cowboy poets on the PBR and PRCA rodeo circuit for an article I am writing on Cowboy Poetry. If you know of any poetic cowboys or cowgirls, tell them to give me a shout. They can contact me at memomuse@gmail.com.
I think it is rather serendipitous that my photo of Wyoming cowboy poet and country crooner, Chris LeDoux was up for voting the week of Cowboy Poetry week. Voting started April 16 for my photo of Chris. Here is a link to the photo, Chris LeDoux, on Talenthouse. You can become a supporter today and you will get an email reminder from Talenthouse telling you when voting opens. I am a fan of reminders. I will also be posting a story about meeting Chris LeDoux at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2003. He is a special man and oh, those sparkly eyes and beautiful smile, can make a Wyoming girl blush. Chris and I went to the same high school in Cheyenne (not at the same time): Cheyenne Central. Go Indians! I promise it is a good one.
Here is a video of one of my favorite Chris LeDoux songs: This Cowboy Hat
Also, check out the Chris LeDoux official website, run by his son, Will LeDoux. When you go to the website, you will be greeted by Chris’ music. Check out the tab that says, One Ride, while you are on the website too. One Ride is a musical that depicts the life of a rodeo cowboy, set to Chris LeDoux’s music. I can’t wait to see the musical when it comes to a theater near me. Shout out in the comments if you have seen it. I am writing a guest post on, Lost in E Minor, about it. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Also, shout out if you want and share your thoughts on Chris LeDoux.
And I will leave you with a quote I really like.
“Why not just do something a little on the gentle side.” ~ Chris LeDoux
Please vote for my photo, “Smile” today. It is the last day to vote. Here is the link to the photo. I just need enough votes to get in the top 50 so they judges will look at it. Talenthouse is American Idol for artists. You can also read this post, to learn more about the cowboy in the photo — professional bull rider, Clint Craig.
MemoMuse 