Stuart Watkins with the Cowboy Poetry winner Linda Rittenhouse
Stuart Watkins
The Arizona State Poetry Society (ASPS) held its annual convention at the Pima Community College West Campus, and many SaddleBrooke Poetry Writers Group members attended and participated. Stuart Watkins sponsored the Cowboy Poetry Contest, which was one of the 17 categories in the ASPS annual contest. The winner of this Cowboy Poetry Contest was Linda Rittenhouse with her poem Daily Offering.
Her poem won first prize, and her second poem won second prize. Only the first prize poem will be included here, but her talent in poetry was exhibited in the fact that she won prizes in other categories as well.
All SaddleBrooke authors, poets, and writers are invited to attend the monthly meetings of the SaddleBrooke Writers Group of poets, memoir writers, authors, and those who just want to put their thoughts into written form for others to share, comment on, and lend encouragement.
Contact Patricia Freemont Smith, president of our friendly group, for meeting times, and know that all are invited even if they have never written a poem, short story, book, or journal. Welcome.
Patricia Freemont Smith can be reached at 520-818-1332.
Daily Offering
Linda Rittenhouse
It was always the bay
who drew his eye
Panther black silk tendrilled tresses
swept across smooth muscles.
Sleek blood-red coat
reflected first light to last
like the dancing canopy of a wildfire.
Others
crowed the white four-board fence,
raced the rusty blue pickup,
rushed at each tossed
broken bale,
ears pinned back in warning,
teeth bared like the devil’s carrousel
to tear dry chunks of hay.
Blew dust
between greedy bites.
From her raised corner vista
she watched the sunrise,
knowing
he would stop,
step out,
climb the fence,
and gently lay
the sweetest flake
at her feet.