Wyoming Summer of Horses (Part 2)
A collection of poems and photos from the most amazing summer of my life
This is the second (and final) collection of horse poems written as part of the Center for New Americans fund-raiser, 30 Poems in November 2023. (You can read Part 1 here.)
I will be forever grateful to to Bobbi Wade, owner of Blue Sky Sage, for the opportunity to be an assistant wrangler last summer. I landed in Pinedale (knowing next to nothing) fueled with lifelong love and a desire to learn. Bobbi and Gloria (the head wrangler) were patient teachers, as were our four-footed friends: seventeen well-trained western quarter horses who forgave my mistakes and made me a better horsewoman every day.
As always, thank you for reading and supporting this labor of love! It is a gift to receive your reactions and comments. I read and respond to every one of them.
If you are local to Western Mass, read to the end for information about my upcoming workshop: Befriending the Body, offered through My Health Matters, 1 Mill Valley Road, Hadley on April 14, 2024. You’ll also find information and links to register for Kristi Nelson’s online workshop: Aging Gratefully. It starts next week!
Ode to Peppy
The old gray mare, only mare in our herd Speck’s companion is light on her feet Would rather trot than walk Moves into a lope like a breeze A brave little horse Happy in the lead Content to follow behind Unstartled by falling trees She rolls on green meadow grass Wriggling away Memories of cinch and saddle, Latigo and girth Ready to ride again Each morning
Copper
Copper appreciates a long slow warm-up He consents to the halter with a subtle side eye My turn? He asks And follows my lead I like the rhythm of my legs His legs Our legs Step, step, stepping Lead rope in light fingers The thinnest squeeze when he slows down A quick release when he Step, step, steps Beside me Through the gate He yields his hind end with Quick side steps Latch the gate and begin our day
Early One Morning
No footsteps to greet me Fourteen rear ends look back at me, All eyes and ears point over the far fence What kind of horse is that? What are they doing outside the corral? Cow and calf trot through the meadow Belly deep in green grass Water drops splash Sparkle in the sun Moose and Horses, all eyes and ears
Rebel
A big paint horse noticed off the roadside Pulling a ton of angry bull into a livestock trailer Purchased on the spot Pokey on our first ride He tests my determination Ignores my legs, my heels My clucking encouragement You want me to do what? Used to real riders with stronger legs Riders who ask, then tell, then promise Until we come upon cattle Mooing and bawling in the sagebrush Loose on the dirt road Cows and calves on both sides of a fence He lifts his head, his feet Cow-pony ears perk to alertness Light under my seat There is work for me here. Ten years later, still willing to work Slower on the downhills Careful of achy knees After a ride He gets a rub down And an ice cold water bath Thank you, Rebel
How to Become a Herd of Two
Light hands on the lead rope, Walk with purpose He is gorgeous, but Look where you are going Walk him forward Turn to the right Turn to the left Walk a figure eight Make him stand still, and back him up Brush and curry away mud and dust Saddle pad, saddle, Lands behind shoulder blades Latigo, cinch Buckle and check, hand under saddle, Room to move with a rider on his back Walk him again Check the cinch Bridle over nose, Tickle the gums, Bit between teeth Lead him to the mounting block Take a breath and gather the reins Swing a leg over, settle on his back All is well
It Doesn’t Feel Like Work
Waking before the sun Moon still high in the inky sky A sickle of silver Surrounded by stars, planets, satellites Orbiting oblivious horses And humans – still mostly asleep I move toward the corral Frost crunches underfoot Breath clouds lead the way Grateful for strong legs, strong heart Grateful for strong back and arms, Grateful for wide open spaces, Fresh air, for Hay baled and tied, Waiting to be forked to grateful horses Munching mouths and swishing tails Breathe it all in Thank You
Befriending the Body
Sunday, April 14, 2024 2-4 PM My Health Matters, 1 Mill Valley Road, Hadley
Ready to escape the grip of diet culture, but confused about where to start? Feeling disconnected from your body? Having difficulty with signals for food, rest, and movement?
It’s not your fault. We are steeped in a culture of objectification, unrealistic beauty images, and wellness influencers peddling programs, guidelines, rules, and routines.
This 2-hour workshop will introduce practical tools to create a stronger, trusting relationship with your body. We’ll use gentle movement, meditation, breathwork, and journaling as we befriend the body. We’ll learn to watch (but not police) our thoughts; notice, accept, and allow our feelings; and create supportive connections with ourselves and each other.
You don’t have to navigate this journey on your own. Freedom is possible. Curiosity, compassion, and support can drown out cultural messages and overcome habitual patterns of self-judgment, criticism, and comparison. Let's do this together!
Linda Castronovo (M.S. Exercise Physiology) is a yoga teacher, writer, and retired teacher and coach. A lifelong dieter and CSA survivor, Linda spent years binging and restricting. She used food and exercise to stuff uncomfortable feelings and sculpt, shape, and shrink her body. Thanks to the tools of yoga and meditation and genuine support, she now lives more comfortably in her body.
This is a free, donation-based workshop. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.
Aging Gratefully: An Online Course with Kristi Nelson
Five Thursdays: March 21 - April 18, 2024 12–1:30pm ET / 9–10:30am PT
Quarreling with getting older reduces our ability to be present and engaged in the precious, passing moments in which we are actually alive.
Join us for a spirited yet practical exploration of aging that invites you to live more gratefully—just as it is, just as you are.
Together, we will explore the following questions:
How do we befriend getting older so we don’t miss the opportunities available to us in life, exactly as it is?
How can we celebrate what is true, enhanced, and possible as we age?
How can we treat the miracle of our aging selves with the unwavering appreciation and respect we so often crave from others?
How can we feel more at peace, even—and especially—in the face of the unknown?
Kristi Nelson is the author of Wake Up Grateful: The Transformative Practice of Taking Nothing for Granted. From 2014 – 2023, she was Executive Director at A Network for Grateful Living and continues to serve in the role of ambassador. Kristi’s current work focuses on uplifting the beauty and power of living gratefully through teaching, speaking, interviews, and writing. Being a long-time stage IV cancer survivor moves her every day to live and love wholeheartedly, and to support others to do the same.
Are you a creative person?
Writer, poet, artist, videographer, musician, photographer, sculptor, painter?
I’d love to feature you and your work in a future issue of Starry Starry Kite.
Peppy, she's a gorgeous example of freedom and wild abandon!
Love your tributes to your four-footed friends, Linda. What a beautiful experience of becoming one with nature!