And the winner is…
Wow! We were all so knocked out by the fantastic, thoughtful entries! Thank you to all for participating!
We want to give a special shout out to Chris Bechtold, our sourcing partner and ranch manager of the Diamond-4-D ranch in Montana for his "Buffalo Ranchers Soliloquy". You said it just right and oh-so beautifully! Also, a special mention to a few other's who made many of the judges top 5 list: Chuck Beatty's "Prairie Haiku", Lisa Lewis's "Translation Between Friends" and Chuck Tompkins "Where the Buffalo Roam". Great job and thank you so much.
You can read all the above mentioned along with all entries below in the comment section.
And now.... drum roll please.....
Our April poetry contest has come to a close.
It was hard to pick, but we finally chose.
The poetry winner is not one but two.
Maria and Suzanne hats off to you!
You can read their poems right below here!
One will make you laugh and other will make you tear.
Congratulations Suzanne & Maria, we will be reaching out to make arrangements for Dan O'Brien's visit for your personal reading!
Maria Reeves "Wild Idea Rhyme"
There once was a woman with so much to do,
Between work, and the house, and mouths to feed, too.
She went to the store, where the labels were tricky,
With preservatives, sugars, and colorings (icky!)
The antibiotics, hormones, and living conditions made her feel blue.
She thought, “we must do better,” and began searching online.
Where she found Wild Idea (just in the nick of time).
Better than organic, is what the O’Briens say.
The buffalo revered, and roaming all day.
Finally, a place she could get behind: restoring the prairie one bite at a time!
With so many options, the woman placed her first order,
And filled up her freezer like a buffalo hoarder.
Now meatloaf, and ribeyes, and sirloins abound.
There’s even trachea and bones for her dogs to be found.
So thanks Wild Idea for being transparent and getting this customer on-board(er).
From her family to yours, she wishes only the best.
And believes with Wild Idea, the prairie is blessed.
She loves the ranch kitchen, and Jill’s recipes, too.
Now dinners seem so easy, and healthier (it’s true!)
Thanks for reducing her food industry stress!
Suzanne Core "Redeemer of the Plains"
Listen in the silence for the buffalo,
Pounding rhythm of its hooves, your heartbeat.
Listen to the pulsing, steady, still.
Its longing felt in every field and hill.
Listen to the silence of the buffalo:
Tears in the heart. Protected grass and sod.
Like its Creator could not protect itself.
Destroyed by man pretending-to-be god.
Listen for the silence of the buffalo.
Billions of ghost feet roam the mists of time:
Its stolen spaces filled with brick and stone
And memories of when it was its own.
Listen with the Silence to the buffalo.
Its grace slowly returns to its domains.
Home. It calls. to Man. To help. To Be.
Love. Life. Redeemer of the Plains.
Again - congratulations!
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Poetry Contest Announcement
Win a chance for author, rancher and environmentalist, Dan O'Brien to do a reading at your home, business or school!
April is National Poetry month, so we are throwing a free-style poetry contest! There are over 50 different types of poetry, which is way too complicated... so, we are keeping it simple with two freestyle categories; poems that rhyme and poems that don’t. There is only one caveat; the poem must contain the word buffalo or bison.
We encourage you to play (enter), to win a chance at having our own in-house writer, Dan O’Brien visit you for a reading at your home, school or business. Plus - we’ll throw in $200.00 worth of our artisan charcuterie so you can invite friends too!
Our in-house group of judges will select one overall winner, which will be announced on April 26th, “Put a Poem in your Pocket Day”.
So poets - start salivating over your words and put them to pen (keyboard) and enter. It’s easy, write your poem and copy and paste it in the comment section below this blog. Here are a couple of examples from our in-house poets to get you going!
Awakened Palate
Leaves danced on her face
reflections of the wind and light
Her body heavy with sleep
still belonging to the night
A morning kiss on the lips
awoke the memory of her palate
A dish of steamed mussels,
buffalo chorizo, wine, and shallot
Dreamy meals are rare,
and some aren’t worth a thought
But perhaps it’s time to change that
and go Wild Idea or wild caught!
A.E.C.
Prairie King
The Bison stands with strength and courage, holding tight to the responsibility of his domain.
He waits unknowing yet fully aware and alive.
It’s lonely at the top but the journey was tough and full.
He stands waiting, calmly, deliberately to claim what in his.
He is his own master now, protector and leader of his kingdom.
H.C.N.
*Published poets, employees or associates of Wild Idea Buffalo Company will not be eligible to win - but we welcome you to play!
We look forward to you sharing your poem with us! And... good luck to all!
51 comments
The Great Bison
Soaking in the searing bands of light
That penetrate the withering limbs
Of experience and uncertainty
Hooves shallow in the fertile soil
That has birthed every breath
Every thought
Every word ever uttered
Expanding through perception
A mystical brute
Cytoplasm
Turning to the sun
The last verse
An octave running into the sestet
A symphony for the wild
A vestige of the divine
Roses are red, Bison are brown; without my daily meal of Buffalo, all I do is frown.
Prairie winds rippling native grasses,
Pasque flowers, daisies, prairie smoke,
Dot the varied shades of green and tan
With dots of spring bloom,
Inviting the bison cow to loll
In the sun while her calf
Frolics and plays
Translation Between Friends
There is a rightness to this argument we’re not exactly arguing,
my new friend and I trying to find our way through conversation,
both of us too polite but stubborn, too. We’re talking about cooking
and I won’t stop saying “buffalo” no matter how many times
she says “bison” and even though our voices are a little more strained
whenever we say our favorite word, we’re okay, we’re getting along,
we’re finding common ground like the buffalo finds it, sometimes
on buffalo grass, which I sometimes think I will use to replace
the weary old weeds sprouting in my yard this year like every year,
waving their seedheads to any passing ruminant, whatever they’re
called for whatever reason. My friend might think she’s right
for being high-toned, I might think I’m right for being common.
But there is no grazing animal walking here at all or where she is,
so we’re both right, or both wrong, and neither of us knows
the next time we’ll dine together. In the broader pastures
there are still shadows and grass, the great split hooves of wisdom
still grinding them down, and all we can do is be grateful.
There are worse answers to small problems, humans
finding their way through what it is to be small ourselves
with a hunger that we turn to greater things to fill.
I REALLY LIKE THE A.E.C. POEM, AND OF COURSE THE WILD IDEA BISON STEAKS. WE HAVE FOUND THAT SMOKING A WILD IDEA STEAK TO 135 DEGREES, AND RESTING THAT BISON STEAK FOR 10 MINUTES, AND THEN SHARING WITH MY WIFE, IS POETRY FOR OUR TASTE BUDS, THANK YOU.
Enter your buffalo poem here.
And win a chance to bring Dan near.
For a personal reading at no charge to you.
Will pick up the tab for charcuterie too!