Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for March Slice of Life Challenge.
Julie’s horse Abbie
I am not a horse person. Every day I drive down a country highway to my school. In fall I watched the swaying sugarcane. Now the fields are bare, and my attention turns to the pastures with horses. In one of these pastures there are three mares and two foals. They gather around the hay bale together.
I am reading The War that Saved my Life and riding alongside Ada on her pony, Butter.
I am writing a verse novel and decided I want my MC to go horseback riding. Having little experience with horses, I turned to my friend and writing critique partner, Julie Burchstead. Julie lives in Vermont, and she has horses. Here is a link to a poem she wrote about building the barn.
Her expertise will make its way into my WIP, but in the meantime, I played with her words and created a found poem.
In the Saddle
a found poem from an email from Julie Burchstead
Feel and smell leather reins.
The horse is warm.
Western saddles creak like leather shoes.
Even through the saddle,
you can sense their mood and their power.
You are on horse time, a different time all unto itself.
Your body falls into rhythm
of the horse’s movement
like being rocked.
Their bodies warm as their muscles warm,
sweat has a rich friendly scent-like hay and summer.Find your center-like a dancer-a yoga practitioner-
Sit deep and tall.I miss the days
galloping down the beach,
hair streaming, bareback,
the rhythm of hoofbeats,
the splash of water,
the connection you have
with a powerful living animal.There is something healing
about a horse,
this huge animal
that trusts us.
Julie riding Abbie. She and Abbie have been together for 15 years.
Poetry Friday round-up with Linda Baie at Teacher Dance.
Reflections on the Teche 
You really are such a poet. I love to read how you plan and set up your world to create poetry. The thought of the two of them together for 15 years makes me so happy. Love this.
Margaret, it is astounding how you took a stream of consciousness email ramble and turned it into something so beautiful. his to me is the essence of the art of poets. You take what is, find and focus the beauty so it cannot help but radiate deep into the soul. You are a poet.
You and I make a good team.
That was brilliant. I love the way this idea came to you and you found a way to play with the essence of Julie’s email in this creative, entirely YOU, way. Bravo!
I hope it translates as well in the book. Thanks.
How brilliant of you to reach out and grow through friends.
“Even through the saddle,
you can sense their mood and their power.”
Beautiful!
I had a cousin who rode and showed horses since she was able to walk. I would go with them to horse shows, but I never enjoyed riding horses. I think I was always too scared of their size and their power. I had never thought about your line that says they “trust us.” Beautiful work…as always!
I’ve always loved horses. As a child I had books and figurines, but no horse. When I married we bought a farm and we owned many horses. I took lessons as an adult. I could find no more comforting place to be than in a barn full or horses with the smells and sounds. I love the way in winter when it is so cold, their steamy breath rises, and you can snuggle your face into their fuzzy winter coats to warm your nose!
I’m going to send you a picture…email.
Donna did you call them figurines as a child? That’s a research question. Thanks for the point about the noses.
Lovely poem! Amazing way you put it together! Can’t wait to hear more about your WIP. YAY!!!
This poem makes you want to be a horse person- finding the connection with another being, feeling its power. I really enjoyed reading your thought process and the email that inspired this; it made the final product even more intriguing!
The warmth of the horses radiates throughout your poem, Margaret. I love the story of how you used Julie’s words to craft this beautiful piece.
This is a wonderful taking of your friend’s words and creation of a poem with all the beauty she shared. I rode all my early life, and kept a horse until I returned to teaching, made sure my kids learned to ride too. But I just didn’t have the time anymore so gave it up. There is not much sweeter than having a horse friend, and riding, focused just on the animal and how we are connecting. Beautifully done, Margaret.
I can’t wait to read this in your book! I love the pictures, the poem, the process! Beautiful!
It makes me so happy to know you are working on a verse novel, Margaret! Though I’m no expert either, with Julie’s help it sounds to me like you’ve truly captured the essence of horseback riding.