Sunday

Carpe Deum - Seizing the Moment

Carpe Deum

Seizing the Moment


Photos c2009 by Nickers and Ink. All rights reserved.


Today, it is snowing again. Each time a new storm arrives, we assume it to be Old Man Winter’s final growl. After all, it’s April already. Still, the skies are filled with surprises.


Yesterday, however, a bright blue canopy covered the pastures. I slogged through the melting snow and mud to retrieve my half-Arabian sport horse colt for a ride. All of the youngsters were bagged out in the grass. At high noon, it was naptime in the nursery at the barn.


I sat on the ground next to my boy. He didn’t move. I leaned up against him and rested my head against his quiet breathing. The bay Hackney filly opened one eye in my direction before resuming her own nap nearby.

Eventually, I swung a leg up over him, half-expecting him to rise to his feet. He grunted and stayed put. I even crouched behind him and tried to rock him up. But he preferred to continue his sunny siesta.


So I took his little sister inside instead. This two-year-old filly wore splint boots and a bridle (with a D-ring copper snaffle) for the first time. (OK, so she is coming three this summer, but who’s counting?) She also stood proud and still, while I fastened a surcingle around her for the third time.


The mare and I played in the round pen for a while before returning to the pasture. I wanted to check on the colt again. As soon as I hopped the gate, he rose to his feet and came running. I guess nothing beats a good nap in the sun for a growing boy.


Basking Beats Tasking –

Quiet Moments in the Pasture


A bright blue sky bids us outdoors

‘Mid warmer winds and equine snores.

We’d like to saddle up for flight

In fanciful fantastic light,

To celebrate the sunny spring

With landmarks softly listening.


But statues still are all we find,

With limbs and tails and manes entwined.

No contract have we thus to ride,

To bring these peaceful ones inside.

By listening, we learn, of course,

To curl up quietly with a horse.



Posted for a variety of prompts:

Easy Street Prompts (“floating the light fantastic”)

Meme Express (Sunday Invitation)

One Single Impression (“listening”)

Poetic Asides (April P.A.D. Challenge: “landmark”)

Poetry Friday

Read Write Poem (NaPoWriMo – “introspection” or “50-word pickup”)

Simply Snickers (“blue,” “bright” and “bring”)

Weekend Wordsmith (“contract”)


Photo/s posted in response to these prompts:

Camera Critters (photo/s)

Scenic Sunday (photo/s)

Show and Tell Saturdays (photo/s – “collections”)

Straight Out of the Camera (SOOC Sunday)

Thursday Challenge (photo/s)

Weekend Snapshot (photo/s)

Wordless Wednesday (any day – photo/s)


Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.


Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.


Throughout 2009, please join us at The Heart of a Ready Writer, a Bible reading and devotional blog, as we read through the entire Bible in chronological order.


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24 comments:

  1. great poetry. this makes me want to go horseback riding :)

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  2. Nice poem, and fun to see the horses all resting at once.

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  3. I just had to laugh when I saw this photo!! It's great....they look like they just had a bunch to drink and one by one just went down! Nice poem too. I joined your following and will add your blog to my favorites. Luanne

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  4. icely done..."curl up with a horse" nice. We still have snow up here in the mountains..I can look out my window and see the 3 horses in our field.

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  5. That's a wonderful poem. And so is the photo. The other day my daughter and I saw horses lying down while other horses stood over them. That was new to us and it was freaky. So this image is wonderful and delightful for us as we learn about horses.

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  6. This is such a cute photo! This is the first time I've seen horses all lying down on the ground for some siesta and sunning. And your story was funny too. Thanks for sharing this lovely post for SS!

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  7. basking in that Spring Sun Sandy

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  8. The weather is just so unpredictable the past years. Anyway, there aren't horses around where I live. I have to go to the highlands to see some and pay for a ride.

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  9. Great post. Love your shots too. Have a blessed week!

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  10. Sounds like a great way to spend some time on a sunny day.

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  11. Great photos of horses and great poem!

    Have a great week ahead!

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  12. I'm not a rider but now I would like to be; or maybe just hang out with the horses in the pasture is enough. Nice piece!

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  13. A warm pasture, blue sky and beautiful horses - what more could one want? Lovely.

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  14. Delightful... both the poem and the photo.

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  15. I like the ending of the poem - I'll curl up quietly with my dog.

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  16. Makes me want to curl up with them - beautiful!

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  17. Very nice bonding time with your horses. Can't help but smile while you try to coax your horse to get up:)

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  18. I love the rhyming.

    The horses are beautiful! I have always desire to go riding, but now I am too old ...

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  19. I just began my lurking, but already find you incredible! You write all the poems featured? Is that right---and on so many blogs? Impressive, my friend. Excited to get to "know" you better. :)

    Stopped over from Dan and Betty's Place.

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  20. What a great photo! They all seem to know how to relax and enjoy the day!

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  21. Not from a horse-lover but I loved the photo (so restful) and the poem fitted it perfectly.

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  22. lovely photograph and a nice poem!

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  23. I love this photo...there is something so compelling about the way they are laying, it made me want to scoop up every last one like a puppy! Something I'm sure would be greatly appreciated by them (NOT).

    Nice!

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  24. This post is really so awesome. It therefore encourages me to try horseback riding and try to do it as my passion.

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