December 2023 – Page 3 – Neil Meili

Neil Meili

Zen Cowboy Poet & Freelance Philosopher

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Monthly Archives: December 2023

For Mary Who Loves Horses

Audio Recordings, Cows, Farm, Nature, Ranch Life, Relationships / December 9, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

I have ridden the fence line
without believing in fences

I have been one with the movement of horse
the strength and speed of horse
the grace of horse and the soul of horse

I have been one with the wind
and the high rolling hills
and the sky

I have stepped down
with my hands filled with staples and pliers

For the welfare of cattle and neighbours
who still have need of believing in fences

Disarmament

Audio Recordings, News / tagged Gun Control, Guns, Mental Illness, Violence / December 8, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Tuesday
an untreated mental case
pops his parents with a pistol
in San Antone and heads for Austin
where he puts some slugs in strangers
including two policemen
and a guy on a bike

The Venus de Milo
must have had bad days
but she never slapped anyone

Tuning Forks

Audio Recordings, Poems about Poetry / tagged Encouragement, Energy, Inspiration, Vibration / December 7, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

When life and writing have
fallen into earth-f illed holes

When bootstraps pulling up
need someone else to pull them

Stafford or Rumi or Nolan wait
a reading away from music again

Humming with Neruda or Oliver or Haf iz
mud falls from boots and stars come out

Why Not the Beautiful Words

Audio Recordings, Poems about Poetry / tagged Childhood, Delight, Language, Whimsy / December 6, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Why don't use just the beautiful words
Why not cast out a net and bring
back only those that sing

Why would we use the English for butterfly
doesn't that sound like a dairy related event

Why use the German schmetterling
doesn't that have a schledhammer ring

Wouldn't Italian farfalla, Spanish mariposa or the Portuguese borboleta be betta

Why not the tres French papillon
does it not taste on the tongue to you
like air and nectar and dew

Why don't we save bats for hitting balls
and for insulation for our house
would it not be much more fitting
to flit with the fledermaus

Are there not a thousand languages or more
do they not all hold jewels in their core

Why not let the children choose

Are their hearts not our purest tuning forks
are they not ourselves more clear
do they not still resonate with all
they speak and feel and hear

Words in a Poem

Audio Recordings, Poems about Poetry / December 5, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

You wrote them down
and then they were there

Putting Ancestry.com
through an AI data blender
might guess where they came from
It doesn't matter

Some words are small c catholic
and may try to shuffle around a bit

Some words are
old time large C Catholic
and can never get a divorce

None of the words can get a divorce
A poem is a poem

Do Not Complain

Audio Recordings, Relationships / tagged Fear, Love, Optimism, Pessimism / December 4, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Do not complain
that rain or love has come too late

That kind of coat will keep you much too dry

Do not complain for fear
that complaining will keep them forever away

That kind of coat will keep you much too cold

That Conversation

Audio Recordings, Personal Growth, Relationships, Travel / tagged Communication, Connection / December 3, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Met in a resort hotel
across the peninsula from Athens
a retired ship owner who had just returned
from speaking at a conference in Delphi
on magic in the modern world

He talked about Delphi having been a library
where people gathered knowledge
before asking the oracle for the spirit side

He said Dorsey and I had to go to Delos and why

He said sometimes you have this conversation
and held his hands about hands-width apart
and sometimes you have this conversation
with hands as far apart as a fisherman’s lie

We had that conversation

This Thanksgiving I sat with John Lee
fellow poet fellow traveler on so many trails

We had that conversation - Hope you have many too

My Uncle Shot My Dog

Audio Recordings, Cowboy Poetry, Family, Farm, Ranch Life, Relationships / tagged Death, Dogs, Forgiveness, Loyalty / December 1, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

My uncle shot my dog

My ever loving ever loyal saved me from the coyotes
Went back to the ranch to lead my parents to me
stuck in the mud - just like in the movies - Lassie dog

My uncle shot my dog

Maybe she had took to bitin’ people
if she did I’m sure they had it coming

Maybe she’d got to eatin’ the chickens
if she did she’d earned every one

Maybe she was old and sick and hurtin’
maybe she was better off dead than alive

I don’t remember anyone saying that
but I doubt it would’ve helped
Not when it’s your best friend - and you’re five

My uncle shot my dog

My uncle shot my dog
and went to his grave unforgiven
Maybe I can get it done before I go to mine

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Nancy Fierstien on Eyes of FriendsNovember 6, 2025
Lovin' this one, line after line!
Nancy Fierstien on Light on LeavesNovember 2, 2025
Yet another favorite of mine! How can I hold back this "THANK YOU!" ???
Sandi Hebley on How Fallen AngelsAugust 17, 2025
Indeed!
Nancy Fierstien on Unremember ThatAugust 16, 2025
Gonna be inclined to share this one at my Poets' Tea reading tomorrow afternoon. Thanks, Neil!
Sandi Hebley on Memory Lane JoggingAugust 5, 2025
Lovely!

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