Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

The Juju Cowgirl

The juju cowgirl

Came like Venus straight out of the water--

Her horse stepping high,

And her hat brim pulled low.



She swayed in the saddle like a prom queen's last dance,

Holding the reins loosely

As she passed the factories, row houses,

And on past a flock of taxis at their stand.



The juju cowgirl only knows one way to kiss--

Like it's high summer in the mountains.

Just before she left,

She painted a moon and stars mandala

On the soft skin of her best girl's back.

She kissed her hair and both shoulders,

Falling across her like yellow sunlight through lace curtains.

Now she wakes up sore

And still in the saddle.



Past the smokestacks and train tracks she rides;

Her horse tosses his head as they cross an endless dirty steel bridge

With the buses and pick-up trucks

High above the wide holy water.



The juju cowgirl loves the prairie grass

And the hot sun from an empty sky;

Leaving the city at night,

She stops beneath the orangey sodium lights by the freeway entrance.

After this,

There is only cool air and the miles ahead.



The juju cowgirl will find her way--

She will use magicks, leather, and horse sense.

She will navigate by the stars,

And no matter the distance or the passing days,

She carries the charm you gave her

And if she loves you

You will know.

_________

for magpie 40

31 comments:

  1. Sigh. Wow. How beautiful. "only knows one way to kiss, like it's high summer in the mountains." "above the wide holy water"......"only cool air and the miles ahead." "And if she loves you, you will know." This is - Poetry. Beautiful and lovely and it takes me away.........to high summer in the mountains. Wonderful, Shay!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I lovelovelove this! And I haven't even looked at the image for Mag40 yet!

    Truly, Shay, this one carried me past some depressing seedy muck and then out to where I can see some hope. You just keep getting more and more relevant, and I mean that as a high compliment.
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. This has the high, wide and lonesome feel of a country hymn to love and wilderness. An exhilarating read. (And I like the 'Brokeback Mountain' gender-preference reversal!)

    ReplyDelete
  4. dang it, girl...
    love this
    envious

    ReplyDelete
  5. This was so beautiful and I could visualize her riding along.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a beautiful picture you've painted of this cowgirl.

    PS - I wonder what kissing like it's high summer in the mountains is like...I must practice! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great title, Shay! You live by your dreams in your words - thanks for sharing them with us.

    ReplyDelete
  8. so sweet and sweeping in its beauty
    and those high mountains..
    good one

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely! Cowgirls are special, but juju cowgirls? They're perfection.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Like venus, only with her hatbrim pulled low--cowgirl on the half-shell...loved the images in this one, the sense of identity passing through but untouched by the unfeeling surroundings, and of course, the sense of love & tenderness. Very nice work.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dear TIger-friend,
    Oh, to be a Juju cowgirl who so knows herself. It must be so wonderful to be so clear and strong and sure. I am guessing you have a lot of Juju in you. I can feel it.
    xoxo
    Weasel-friend

    ReplyDelete
  12. I wanna be one ......... so nice!

    ReplyDelete
  13. "She carries the charm you gave her"
    Just this one line encapsulates the whole of the Magpie picture this week...

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm going out to buy some cowboy boots...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Intense, romantic and a woman you either want to like or be with what more could you ask for?

    ReplyDelete
  16. STILL my favorite poet!!!

    And gol dang, I'm craving me some jujubes, Twizzlers and / or Dots now!!

    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  17. "magicks, leather, and horse sense.

    She will navigate by the stars,

    And no matter the distance or the passing days,

    She carries the charm you gave her"


    Aloha from Waikiki :)

    Comfort Spiral

    ><}}(°>


    <°)}}><

    ReplyDelete
  18. I absolutely love this! Your poetry always fascinates me. You create such wonderful characters.

    Teresa

    ReplyDelete
  19. I get lost in the magic your words always conjure. I adore the way you write, it has energy, heart and always, such wonderful imagery.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Who wouldn't love her?

    great lines, great depth.

    ps
    emmylou is fabu! (plus i can totally relate to the silver goddess hair)

    and i am loving rediscovering bonnie raitt.

    ReplyDelete
  21. hmmmmmm.....I think I have known a JuJu Cowgirl, or TWO....Yeah!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Shay that is a wonderful piece of writing. It bring to the surface so many untapped feelings.

    ReplyDelete
  23. A veritable plethora of good leather images woven with the strings of passion to transcend the great divide. Wonderful, wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Beautiful images, the worn leather ties the moments together, along with the skies and the earth...

    ReplyDelete
  25. If all married lovers kissed the way the JuJu Cowgirl must kiss, then there would be less divorce in this world! Once again you have created your own wonderful world in word Shay! You always delight and amaze me! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  26. If all married lovers kissed the way the JuJu Cowgirl must kiss, then there would be less divorce in this world! Once again you have created your own wonderful world in word Shay! You always delight and amaze me! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  27. This is awesome! I like the flow, love the strength of the juju cowgirl, and I love the term "juju cowgirl"! My favorite stanza's the last one, and my favorite lines are the last ones:
    "And if she loves you
    You will know."

    I think I haven't done Magpie Tales in a month, I'm juggling a lot these days. But I miss it and plan to do next week's magpie.

    ReplyDelete

Spirit, what do you wish to tell us?