Neil Meili

Zen Cowboy Poet & Freelance Philosopher

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Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

Gratitude Junkie

Audio Recordings, Family, Travel / tagged Feast, Gathering, Thanksgiving / October 13, 2025 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Turkeys are not a migratory bird
but they'll be there when you get there

As long as it's after mid-October
and drumsticks and pumpkin pie
with the apples of my Canadian eye

And before the third week in November
where American friends have a table set
for my second thanksgiving of the year

Who wouldn't be doubly grateful for that

How Not To Be A Turkey On Thanksgiving Day

Audio Recordings, Personal Growth / tagged Gratitude, Thanksgiving / November 23, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

How do you get to Carnegie Hall
Practice Practice Practice

So sip each morn
and even on plentitude

And on the day of gratitude
show up less loud and crude

Thanksgiving Poem: How-to

Audio Recordings, Nature, Poems about Poetry / tagged Art & Artists, Autumn, Fall, Gratitude, Holiday, Thanksgiving / October 9, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Don’t write right away, but soon.
Watch the leaves and the light fully
Connect – allow – relax – delight.
Too quick is a tourist in a selfie,
Taj Mahal untended over left shoulder.
Wait too long and the phone will ring

Write a few hundred poems before – good and bad,
so fear of the water doesn’t keep you on shore
And how about a title throwing two shadows
(as Mary Oliver encourages)
an easy one here with movement and the season

Do not say leaves look toward the sun, an object,
but towards the rising of the sun, an event
one more evocative of motion

Note the angle of the sun,
so low on the horizon that is shines upwards
into the twisting, twirling, falling leaves,
as they lift at times in slightly gusting breeze

If pirouetting is what you see, bring the ballet in

And gratitude, of course, and on what day

The Farmer

Audio Recordings, Family, Farm, Ranch Life / tagged Generosity, Thanksgiving / October 10, 2022 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

The farmer stands
on land so flat you have to
curve your mind over the end of it
to keep from losing touch with the earth

Deep within him
runs the quiet goodness
of those who feed more than they eat

While above the air is full
of siren songs to lure his young away

1 Reply

How Not to Be a Turkey on Thanksgiving Day

Audio Recordings, Family, Relationships / tagged Gratitude, Thanksgiving / November 26, 2020 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

How do you get to Carnegie Hall
Practice Practice Practice

So sip each morn
and eve on plentitude

And on the day of gratitude
show up less loud and crude

1 Reply

Thanksgiving Poem: How To

Audio Recordings, Nature, Poems about Poetry / tagged Autumn, Gratitude, Thanksgiving, Writing / October 14, 2020 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Don’t write right away, but soon
Watch the leaves and the light fully
Connect – allow – relax – delight
Too quick is a tourist in a selfie
Taj Mahal untended over left shoulder
Wait too long and the phone will ring

Write a few hundred poems before – good and bad
so fear of the water doesn’t keep you on shore
And how about a title throwing two shadows
(as Mary Oliver encourages)
an easy one here with movement and the season

Do not say leaves look toward the sun, an object
but towards the rising of the sun, an event
and more evocative of motion

Note the angle of the sun
so low on the horizon that is shines upwards
into the twisting, twirling, falling leaves
as they lift at times in slightly gusting breeze

If pirouetting is what you see, bring the ballet in

And gratitude, of course, and on what day

Third in the series of five Thanksgiving poems from Leaflet: a poem progression. Written in Austin Texas, Thanksgiving 2014, re-celebrated, Canadian Thanksgiving 2020

A Fall Moment (Expanded)

Audio Recordings, Nature / tagged Autumn, Gratitude, Thanksgiving / October 13, 2020 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

The ancient elm, shaking herself awake
releases a shower of gold-leaf leaves
Turning each edge to the rising of sun
they dance in a small breeze ballet

Some cheekily exposing cheeks
some shyly turning away

some reaching back to momma tree
some rushing to grace the ground

some hanging in hesitant suspension

If it were not Thanksgiving day
I would be grateful anyway

Second in the series of five Thanksgiving poems from Leaflet: a poem progression. http://www.neilmeili.com/neils-books/leaflet-a-poem-progression/ Written in Austin Texas, Thanksgiving 2014, re-celebrated, Canadian Thanksgiving 2020

1 Reply

A Fall Moment

Audio Recordings, Nature / tagged Autumn, Gratitude, Thanksgiving / October 12, 2020 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

The ancient cedar elm next door
in shaking herself awake
releases a shower of small gold leaves

Turning each edge to the rising of sun
they dance in a small breeze ballet

If it were not Thanksgiving day
I would be grateful anyway

First in the series of five Thanksgiving poems from Leaflet: a poem progression. http://www.neilmeili.com/neils-books/leaflet-a-poem-progression/ Written in Austin Texas, Thanksgiving 2014, re-celebrated, Canadian Thanksgiving 2020

1 Reply

How Not to Be a Turkey on Thanksgiving Day

Family, Personal Growth, Relationships / tagged Holiday, Thanksgiving / November 27, 2019 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

How do you get to Carnegie Hall
Practice Practice Practice

So sip each morn
and eve on plentitude

And on the day of gratitude
show up less loud and crude

It Is Enough

Uncategorized / tagged Gratitude, Thanksgiving / October 8, 2018 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians – Feeling grateful today for so much.

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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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