Ride the Wild Horse Before You…
Ride the Wild Horse Before You…
Better get this one out there before the Internet gets turned off (As the Rumors Out There Go…). Just want to say: “Howdy, Ya’ll!” This “Manly” Poem is on (*) “Ride the Wild Horse Before You”. But, before I start…Let me say a few words about Poetry in general…and what “Manly Poetry Man’s” Quest is:
“Words come at you everyday; Poems are just a little more organized in what they say!”
Poems: Get a bad rap…usually considered flowery, soft, artsy, etc. Maybe…some of that is true. But…put in the right context…Poems can get a point across with underlying stealth and quiet intelligence. Perhaps…even better than the average writings we see daily. This is Mr. Manly Poetry Man’s Quest. To Boldly Go Where No Poetry Man Has Gone Before and…Boldly Write Some New Poems…?! Sometimes Poems need to have their energy harnessed and then put on display. With that I bring you:
“Ride the Wild Horse Before You”
When you stood to want to ride…high upon a Horse…
You had to do it the hard way…like everything else…of course.
”Pick the Wild Horse Before You”…came a still voice…on that day…
As your Ancestors…stopped and looked at what you were doing…many light years away.
”Take the Horse Before you and Ride out of the Corral”…from far away…they all cheered…
Inside your guts were twisted…Your Boots were shaking in the stirrups…doing what you feared.
Hold the Reins tight and show this “Wild One”…who is the Boss…
He has a terrible reputation…He is respectfully called: “The Wildest Hoss”.
A “Wrangler’s Horse” which they often chose not to ride on a pleasant day…
But for now…you ride upon his shoulders…the leather between you both will have its say.
Time for you to “Wrangler-up”…nothing else matters…You young teen…
Time to take “Omar” out of the Corral..and go past even…your own dream.
Are you just a “City Boy”…Hell yes…You are…
Me and “Omar” here…are blasting out’ta here…It doesn’t matter how far!
Open wide…Before Me…the Corral gate…
Let the Saddle and the Horse determine my fate.
Point the Horse’s Head towards the Opening…though He may not approve your course…
Give him a good nudge to his Underbelly…and hang on to this Wild Wrangler Horse!
With a shake of his stubborn head…You direct his head between each rein…
He makes sure to teach you a lesson and smack your foot against the gate post…in pain.
Clever Dude…that’s why no one likes you…
Now let’s just see exactly…what you can do…
Because now it has come down to Me vs. You…
You’re going to need to reach Maximum Gallop… Before we get through.
But it is like you read my mind…you are already in Hyper-Gear…
As we launch away from the Corral…and break-free out’ta here.
”Omar” if you are going to try and scare me…I ought not to have this much fun…
Aiming you down the Main Trail…Headed West…let’s see how fast you can run!
The trees begin to whirl by, sand and dust kick up from behind…
Riding “Omar” at high-gallop…is the only thing that’s on my mind.
No time for hesitancy for horse or rider…Perhaps “Omar” has matched my smile…
Time for both of us to blow away…everything that was behind us…for the next mile.
With arms stretched out…I move with each quickened stride…
And Hang on to this Wild Horse with every step…I was born to ride.
The Trail has a steep embankment…over a lazy trickling small creek below…
We passed it like it was nothing…didn’t even touch the water…as far as I know.
Now out on the last stretch…before we reach the road up ahead…
I’m further on my own than I’ve ever been…and won’t forget this til’ I’m dead.
The World doesn’t matter now…it is only He and I…
As I lift my butt high off the saddle…and FLY.
We make it down the last of the trail…as a few pine branches try to grab at me…
We haven’t slowed down one bit…We still yearn to run and be free.
Now comes the time to pull back the reins and begin to “Whoa” this horse down without getting thrown…
I leaned back with hands intertwined with reins…The teen that headed back to the Corral…had just (**) “grown”.
Gone are the things around me…Gone is the little boy…I knew…
Because now I have ridden high up in the saddle…and Up on top of “Omar”…I flew!
_______________________________________________________________________________
The Teen that headed back to the Corral…had just “grown”.
(*) I must have used: “ride the wild horse” a bunch…in some of my writings…if you have ever followed my writings. This Poem is a 100% true tale of me as a very young teen. Not meant to be bragging…but some things are deep inside a person and deserve to be told.
When I was a youngster of 13, I went off to camp as a camper and ended up staying as a staffer. I worked at every activity we had in one way or the other that Summer. All except for working with the Horses at the Camp Corral. However, I would go over there each evening and hang out. Learned to crack a 20’ Bullwhip, helped feed the Horses, and trotted around the Stable Yard in the Corral Area.
There were about thirty horses there donated from all over Texas. (It was a YMCA Camp-later grew to over 60 horses under the Camp Directors’ Leadership) Needless to say, they didn’t always get along with each other coming from different areas and backgrounds. But, it made things interesting and made for certain horses that were “ Wrangler” Horses only.
Well, a “Wrangler Horse” is not a new concept…I am sure. Every Riding Stable from here to All over the World probably has Special or “Ornery” Horses that it is best if only the “Wranglers” ride.
When I came back to Camp the next Summer I was determined to be a “Wrangler”…So after getting to meet the new Head Wrangler and giving him my background from the previous Summer, I said: “Let me take Omar out for a spin!”…
And that’s how I became one of the Assistant Camp Counselor Wranglers starting that Summer at the tender age of 14. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it as it holds a special place dear to me.
I think…every now and then…even on up to this day…as I look into what a day may have in store for me: I see “Omar’s” wild glassy eye looking down at me…and snorting out a steam cloud after being saddled up. (Or even some of the other “wild “ ones there.) And I realize that if a crazy kid can hop up on “Omar” and ride him…that there ought not to be too many things…I can’t do. (Only wish I’d tell myself this more often…Ha!)
(**) I took the Liberty of using Growed over Grown for the Rhyme…previously. Probably not the best grammar though. But now have edited it back to Proper Form…as it should be. Even though it is fun to mix things up sometimes.
Thanks for Reading!
~~~
For more great works like this one…keep an eye on Steve Walters’ author page to see what’s next for The Creative Exiles:
https://www.creativeexiles.com/author/stevew/
You can also find works by Steve Walters who uses the pen name of ManlyPoetryMan on HubPages.
https://hubpages.com/@manlypoetryman
https://hubpages.com/@me-steve-walters
Or at Home | Manly Poetry Man
A Quick Horse Ride through the Woods!
A fitting Song (below) for this Poem…even if it was a Stable Yard where this Poem has it’s setting…Not a Rodeo Arena. Still there were many a time when the Leather between you both and the ability to hang on and Ride were put to the test.
In the Spirit of the Poem…May I bring to you this one by Chris LeDoux:
Hello…or should I say “Howdy”! I go by the Poet Name of: Manlypoetryman when writing Poetry. As particularly simple as that might sound, I find that this name clears my head from any and all “Hallmark” Romantical, Lovely Greetings, Fare-thee-Well, Card-type insinuations that Men can have concerning “Poetry”. And, it gives me an unquestionable right to write in the Poetic Art Form of Rhyming Poetry Style that I call: “Manly” Poetry.
Enough of that intro. It is really great to be writing here on: "The Creative Exiles". I am lining up some of my best writings for this website. Going to "Bring-it" with a variety of "Poetic-able" Topics. So just kick back and enjoy some of the Poetry I send out to you. It’s all for “Entertainment” purposes only…so all you will have to do is read and enjoy my writings.
And, I really hope you do!
Now, it is time for me to go and write in a "Poet-icized" manner like those long ago “Men of Old” Poets would’ve once long ago done it. They have primarily inspired me to write Poems in a manner that is “Manly” like how they use to write Poetry.
Please stay tuned for more of my Poetry works.
Best and Humble Regards, Steve Walters
(Or the Artist still known as: Manlypoetryman)
Enough of that intro. It is really great to be writing here on: "The Creative Exiles". I am lining up some of my best writings for this website. Going to "Bring-it" with a variety of "Poetic-able" Topics. So just kick back and enjoy some of the Poetry I send out to you. It’s all for “Entertainment” purposes only…so all you will have to do is read and enjoy my writings.
And, I really hope you do!
Now, it is time for me to go and write in a "Poet-icized" manner like those long ago “Men of Old” Poets would’ve once long ago done it. They have primarily inspired me to write Poems in a manner that is “Manly” like how they use to write Poetry.
Please stay tuned for more of my Poetry works.
Best and Humble Regards, Steve Walters
(Or the Artist still known as: Manlypoetryman)
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Great work Steve. I was raised in a small desert Cowtown and rode many horses with friends and family. But I never took it as seriously as my friends I preferred my bicycle. Jamie
Jamie: Me…just the opposite. Raised in the Big City…rode many bicycles along with friends…but loved every moment of being out in the woods on horses. Thank you so much for reading this one and for commenting on it. Happy Bike Trails to you!