Global Sojourns Photography
Photography & Philosophy
Let’er Buck: The Life of a Cowboy
Lack of sleep makes concentration difficult. I’m on my third cup of coffee and I can’t help but stare out the window trying to recapture last night’s fading dream of a life of a cowboy.
“找不到你公司税务登记证 ! 在哪里?”
The sound of these foreign words spin me back to reality here in China.
“如果找不到太麻烦!” My secretary again looks at me for a response.
I shut my eyes and focus on the feeling of “Let’er Buck” – a touch of the West, a touch of home.
A world away, I taste the dew of the morning and roll out of bed to gaze over never-ending wheat fields. I imagine saddling up the best friend a cowboy will ever have and head out to face the day.
The feeling of adventure mixed with a taste of adrenaline I suppose is why the cowboy often has a wistful smile as he saddles up.
It doesn’t take long for the soft eyes of my horse to be replaced by the glare of my secretary. Her continual banter in Chinese steals me away from my daydream.
The figures on the spreadsheets in front of me wrestle each other in an endless battle to determine whether the year will see a profit or a loss.
There will be a lot more wrestling with figures before the day ends and the freedom of a ride has never felt so far away. Running on the wind lifted by the cheers of a crowd.
I hold up my hand, and the Chinese words stop mid-sentence and for a second all is quiet, a rare moment of peace.
“I should’ve been a cowboy…” I mutter, a common wish for most guys I grew up with, although for me I admit a life on the back of a bucking bronc is not in my blood.
The courage to ride requires a special spirit infused at birth. The adrenaline rush of the ride, the feel of the rope, speed of the chase and mixing blood with mud is a lifestyle meant only for the few.
What I am chasing though, is almost as elusive, the spirit of the cowboy. The legend created by songs and stories I’ve heard growing up: the down-to-earth attitude, importance of treating each other well and when taking a fall ~ fearlessly dusting off and saddling up again.
Dusting myself off, I stare at my computer and pound out another business email…
The essence of the life of a cowboy defines the spirit of my hometown of Pendleton, Oregon. Waking up every morning with the annual September dream of becoming a cowboy, if only for a day.
To walk out onto the infield grass and take it all in, feeling the crowd with the beating heart of the grandest rodeo in the world, the Pendleton Round-Up.
Around the world there are company executives pilfering the paychecks of their workers, politicians focused on lining their pockets and places where a hard day’s work has become a myth of days gone by.
Yet the philosophy of a cowboy remains true over the centuries. Put in a full day’s work, take care of family and friends and with bones aching, fearlessly climb back into the saddle again.
The cowboy spirit flows through Pendleton with the memories of past cowboy heroes such as Lane Frost, Mike Boothe and Mike Currin – men as genuine in the arena as they were outside.
Also the present champions, Trevor Brazile, winner of four consecutive all-around titles at the Pendleton Round-Up and bareback champion Ty Breuer, showing the heart and spirit of cowboys still run true.
For some, the dreams of the West and the cowboys who built America may be disappearing, however they still remain a strong foundation for the people of Pendleton.
Ranchers and farmers understand there is no such thing as an easy ride and to grab an opportunity when it arrives, knowing it may not come again. So when the rope leaves their hand there is no doubt it will find its mark.
The echo of the rodeo reverberates in my mind, as my fingers struggle to tap out a message on my iPhone. These hands stand in stark contrast to the callused hands of a cowboy holding a rope and reigns.
Any calluses I do have are quickly fading away, perhaps similar to the fading cheers a cowboy hears as he walks away from the arena one last time.
Years ago when I was in my mid-20s, I was talking to a bronc rider after an excellent ride and he said something I’ve never forgotten: “The opening of a bucking chute is like the start of a new day. Some days will be tough with rough rides and broken bones – those days are to be remembered because it makes good days like today taste all the better.”
Patience. Belief. Hard work. Cowboy logic.
There are many things I’ve learned from rodeo champions over the years, but perhaps the most valuable lessons have come from the local farmers and ranchers.
Growing up, my annual summer job at PGG operating Rew grain elevator during harvest stands as one of the best work experiences I’ve ever had.
The many people I worked with at Rew helped form my character, each one having the heart of a Pendleton cowboy. Two such cowboys, Bob Byers, who can create a solution for any problem and Terry Simpson who has an outlook on life second to none; both men define Pendleton perfectly.
From Pendleton to Calgary to Cheyenne and to cities around the world, the spirit of the life of a cowboy flows free and strong. Looking out the window again, I put on a George Strait CD to fit my mood and the music even makes my secretary smile.
Here in China, I’ve found the soul of the cowboy both in myself and in the great people I work with over here.
Closing my eyes, I feel the wind on my face and the pounding of hooves and earth blending perfectly with the music. I feel great.
Yes, I may be thousands of miles from home but all I need to hear are the words “Let’er Buck” and I am right back in the middle of the Pendleton Round-Up arena and it’s a perfect day.
The beginning of December is where the last piece of magic will be performed when future champions get ready to ride at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Cowboys who grew up in small towns around the country, holding onto a belief that one day their names will be dancing in the bright lights of Vegas. Their focus locked-in on the final ride of the year and the chance to etch their name in the history books and become a part of cowboy folklore.
Good luck and good health to all. 祝你们好运气，健康.
Let’er Buck!
Global Sojourns Photography 
It’s funny, I’d just been thinking about how bad a day I’d had recently, then I came to this post and realized that what counts as a bad day in other jobs is significantly worse! Great pictures and post, as ever. I like all the photographs, but my favorite is the one with the cowboy on the white horse. I think it’s the ninth photograph from the top. The sense of movement is amazing.
Cowboys are a tough bunch – Ty Breuer, the bareback champion at the Round-Up earlier in the year fractured his wrist and spine, and here he is winning at Pendleton in September…amazingly tough. This year I wanted to try to capture the movement with my photos – and plus it is always a fun time to shoot action. Thanks Bun.
Tough without doubt. I think if I fractured a bone in my body doing something, my first reaction would be to make sure I never did that thing again. They’re a different breed. 🙂
This entire well-crafted piece of prose has so many layers that transcends that which rests upon the surface. The spirit of a cowboy has so many truths that can and should apply to so many different facets of our lives. And you have done a magnificent job of bringing those realizations front and center, Randy. The way you are able to meld your eloquent words together with your stunning and evocative photography is pure magic. Thanks, as always, for sharing your gift.
Thank you Dave, this piece was fun to write and combine different layers of life from different perspectives…and being able to do so with the use of photography is always fun, as it can help me out with both creating a story (as well as tell the story in my mind as I am shooting). Enjoy the week ahead ~
A wonderful series of photos Randall, and a great insight to a cowboy’s life… it’s familiar to me only from some western movies I’ve seen. 🙂
Western movies have always been one of my favorites (just watched Outlaw Josey Wales the other night…again…), and along with Louis L’amour books growing up, the West had a hold on me from an early age. Thank you Elina.
A wonderful photo series Randall! Rodeo is something that was first introduced to me only 3 years ago when I first visited Calgary Stampede and WOW was I ever impressed! I have been there every year after and this summer we also went to one of the smaller local rodeos. It is very fascinating. It is definitely a lifestyle meant only for the few.
It is very cool to hear that you’ve not only been to the Calgary Stampede (I’ve yet to experience it…), but also that you’ve seen smaller local rodeos. It is a fascinating lifestyle and one that seems to be well entrenched within the small towns and communities in the Western part of North America. Thank you Inger and wish you a great week ahead.
Holy smokes Randall – you sure hit a nerve with this one! I love the way you weave your stories around your beautiful photography. This one took us straight back to long ago times when cowboys were everywhere and their mystique was just being formed. Wonderful post as always.
Sometimes there is nothing better than losing yourself in thoughts and dreams of days long ago 🙂 Thank you Tina, the life of a cowboy seems to be just about the perfect topic: living within nature, dealing with many rough days but in the end realizing how great life can be and living to the fullest while you can. Wish you well and that you are enjoying the final days of autumn.
As a child I always wanted to be a cowboy and to have a big ranch ;-). bilere
Me too Bilere ~ always thought that would be a perfect life…even though it would be a 24/7 – 365 days a year affair, the work would be satisfying and the days definitely full.
Oh wow, such amazing shots, the movement and vibrancy in them is so awesome!
Thank you very much ~
Randy,
A good analysis of the cowboy philosophy as well as great pictures. I enjoyed your written thoughts as much as your pictures. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Shaun, there is nothing better than Round-Up week ~ seeing old friends, meeting new ones, the sights and sounds and then of course, the big show itself. An annual pilgrimage for many Pendletonians living elsewhere…
Stunningly fabulous shots, Randall! 🙂 You put a big smile on my face with this post.
“The last of the singin’ cowboys” was my Dad’s way. LoL We golfed, (less buckin’ and more bangin’).
In this Modern Age, the rodeo is fer sure a throwback. Excellent portrayal of a fun and wild extravaganza! Cheerz, UT
Thank UT, the rodeo is a throwback to the spirit of the older generation who made the States a place to chase the American Dream – we could use a few more singin’ cowboys in today’s world. Cheers to a great week ahead!
Wow… this has to be one of the most authentic American Dreams to have. Having lived in the states for many years I can relate to the American Dream, but this is one I never thought of or heard. I could never truly capture this particular pure American spirit if I tried. The closest I could get to it is remembering growing up watching John Wayne films in Hull, England! LOL For you to be able to visualise this while in China… Idk… gotta be a tinge of it in your blood? What a life hey? the hard work, getting up early, the sweat, grind, scents, The Rush, That sense of knowing and feeling alive as you become one with a wild buck, and the satisfaction it bestows…
Having said that, look at the life you lead now! I could envy it with all the beauties and stories you have to share with the sense of oneness you have with your surroundings and the life out there. 🙂
This American dream is one that finds its way into the minds of many young men in small towns in the mid-west and west ~ a true extension of the history of this country, and I think a desire to live back in those good ole’ days. Blending in those feelings within today’s modern world is a bit difficult, but I also think we can see it a bit everywhere where people work long and hard. Thanks Kev and wish you a good week.
Have a great week, Randall… it’s still a good dream! 🙂
I’ve been to a rodeo once as a teenager…
…thanks for reinging me.
🙂 Good to have brought you back to the rodeo (even if only via photos and writing). Wish you a good day Rabirius.
Those photo shots in action, all so stunning, each one a continuation of your words..
And there is nothing wrong in visualising the strength or integrity of a cowboy..
Living in the now of the moment, with raw courage takes guts.. And by the sounds of it, you had a great background in your upbringing and training..
Life can be like the words of that Bronco rider who said
“The opening of a bucking chute is like the start of a new day. Some days will be tough with rough rides and broken bones – those days are to be remembered because it makes good days like today taste all the better.”
We all chase the spirit of something Randall.. And somewhere inside us all is the Cowboy.. One who holds on, not wanting to let go.. And who can risk all for the sake of fame and fortune.
Knowing when its time to rise and fall and who knows when to call it a day and walk away..
My Grandfather on my Mothers side was a huge Cowboy fan.. He read every paper back western he could lay his hands on.. He spent his entire life from the age of 14 to 65 underground in a coal mine.. I guess he too was transported into the spirit of dreaming a cowboy’s life..
You may not have made a Bronco Randall… But I am certain your heart would have made a great Cowboy of Pendleton..
I so enjoyed your photo’s, and an insight into your thoughts.. Have a great week..
Sue 🙂
Thanks Sue, the spirit of cowboys is something else ~ these guys ride throughout the season injured, on the move every week but they do make sure they get the best out of life. Anyone with such a spirit is sure worth understand and emulating to some extent ~ and I think the appeal they have for everyone who grew up with the appreciation of hard work can respect such a lifestyle. Thank you for the kind words and wish you a great week ~
Yes I would imagine it is a hard life, and see why they make the most of it every day.. We should all maybe take a leaf out of their life.. wishing you a great week also Randall..
Fantastic virtual tour! Something original and different as always 🙂 Randall, thanks for taking me there – between cowboys! Have a nice days. Kamila
If you thought the virtual tour was fantastic ~ you should come and see the action/spirit in person, a great event 🙂 Thank you very much Kamila, wish you a great week.
That is a good idea but from Europe is “a little bit” far…but maybe one day 🙂 Bye. K
stunning action and drama 🙂
Thank you Joshi ~
What awesome photos! You are so talented, Randall. A good friend of mine from high school is a cowboy. It’s amazing what they do.
Thank you Jess, I wonder if you friend has ever ridden in Pendleton? That’d be pretty cool. Enjoy your day ~
Randall, your blog is so much better than reading a book. In each wonderfully written words are your remarkably expert photography. I absorb each read with such awe and inspiration.
I only get to witness bits of cowboy life during county fairs. It’s amazing how they master this kind of skill, especially the fact they most likely started at early age.
Very much appreciate this comment Rommel, shooting the scenes of a rodeo was pretty fun and the talent out there in the arena is something to see – and you are right, they were born with ropes and reins in their hands.
Great photos from cowboy-world 😉
Thanks Truels, a good world to explore and experience ~ cheers 🙂
Hello, Randall! As usual, your marriage of stellar photography with thoughtful commentary makes for yet another great post. What a superb photo essay and excellent bit of writing on the life and philosophy of the cowboy. I can totally relate to what you’ve written about these men (and some ladies too) who make the rodeo their life. These guys are salt of the earth people—hard-working, genuine and, in my experience, some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. I love all your photos (your action shots are amazing), but I particularly like the shot where the cowboys are waiting in the chute with the words, “Let‘er Buck” repeated in a receding line—great eye. Thanks for this fabulous ode to cowboys and the rodeo life.
The salt of the earth people, you say it very well Jeannie – “hardworking, genuine… some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet.” The ladies are a big part of the Round-Up as well ~ I’ve got a series of photos with the barrel racers I will write about at some point – likely next year…stunning women actually, and probably the real reason I want to be a cowboy 🙂 Thank you for the kind words!
Wow-photos. Thank You showing them.
Thank you Sartenada ~ glad you enjoyed them.
Dear Dalo,
This is one post, I could easily relate to, immediately after reading the first paragraph itself.
It took me straight to my ‘Bangalore’ days, the ‘IT life’.
Every day, over a decade, I used to dream the lush green paddy fields, hills and virgin beaches of my native, sitting among electronic gadgets in concrete jungles.
If it were ‘cowboys’ for you, it was ‘Theyyams’ for me…
The pull of my native was so strong that, finally I left my job and came back home, with only dreams to fall back on.
I really struggled to get settled in my native and after following the cowboy logic ‘Patience. Belief. Hard work’, I could find my dream job a reality.
Though I had to sacrifice almost two years of my career, I feel relaxed now.
Guys like you, have been of great support and inspiration to me during this tough period.
Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart 🙂
Seeing these images, I could feel the free spirit of human mind, a great collection of perfect action shots indeed 🙂
Have a beautiful day ahead 🙂
Thank you Sreejith, I think the spirit it takes to step away from a piece of life that is not working, opening yourself up for risks and struggles in pursuing something that feels right is just the way to live life (and as you allude to is the spirit of a life of a cowboy). A road not often traveled but something that can be very rewarding (both the journey and the end). Wish you well, as it looks as if you’ve got a lot of this spirit in yourself. Cheers to today and future successes!
Amazing photos. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you ~
You are gifted one. Anyone can be a photographer but not all can be Randall Collis. 🙂
It is very nice to read your words and very happy that you enjoyed the photos and writing ~ wishing you a great week ahead!
Thank you so much. 🙂
Amazing photos!
Thank you very much ~ enjoy your week.
Wonderful, you captured some amazing action shots here Randall. Truly spectacular.
Thank you very much Kath, there has always been a pretty good turnout with Australian cowboys in Pendleton too 🙂
Great photo report, about a topic which is not often treated in the papers. Your pics are amazing, you captured the elements of fights between animals and men. I love the second to last picture, where we’re not sure about what is going on, who’s taking the advantage on the other.
Thank you Sandrine, it is a lifestyle that is quite different, seldom captured in mainstream media especially in such a tech-driven world. A lot we could learn ~ the second to last shot is the championship ride of the bareback bronc competition (an incredible dance between the cowboy and bronc!). Cheers ~
Thanks Randall. Always good stuff and I can relate. As usual the text is well written and add depth to the great pics.
Thanks John ~ the eastern part of Oregon is such an incredible place and with the beauty of the Hood River valley to the Oregon Coast, there is a lifetime of adventure to be found. The cowboy life of Pendleton being my favorite.
This is magical — and reminds me very much of my first rodeo in Arizona. I think I remember every detail of that day … complete with a barn dance under soft white lights and twinkling stars, sweet lemonade, hats, boots and riding horses in the rain.
Thank you Wendy, I could see you in a cowboy hat and boots riding along at the end of the day ~ you’ve got the right spirit of adventure 🙂 Wishing you a great Thanksgiving.
This is an exception range of images. It makes me feel as if I were there. I really love the panning shot with the white horse and the guy flying, and the image of the hands with the rope is intriguing – it makes me want to see more. I grew up in cowboy country as well but haven’t been back since I started taking photos. This makes me want to return this summer!
There is something special about the countryside, the cowboy culture and a fell for an honest days work/life that I think people will always find appealing (especially if they’ve spent any time there) – and reconnecting with such a life is great. Thanks Jeff ~ enjoy the week.
Thanks. A wonderfully dramatic series. I can almost feel my bones ache looking at some of those falls! Regards Thom.
Thanks Thom, the beating they take when they compete is something else. Enjoying this from the comforts behind a lens sure beats the pain from being on (or off) the horse! Cheers ~
Your outstanding images and words find me pondering the heart of a cowboy. Cowboy hearts manifest themselves in many unexpected places. Take my brother – not a cowboy for the horse he rode to keep track of his cattle, a cowboy for the way he approaches life. In demand all over western Canada and the U.S. for his ability to find water, his cowboy isn’t in the 2 willow branches that inexplicably bend to the ground where a well should be dug, his cowboy is in how he values his services. His “fee” hinges on character of the person – arrogance, disrespect or skepticism costs a lot. Decency, and respect are another matter. He often waives any fee in exchange for lunch/dinner, or maybe a neglected pile of fence-posts he could use.:)
Thank you Ponder ~ I think the character of a person truly shines when they look at the work they do as compensation enough ~ Something about working with someone/something, doing the job well and then letting things work out the way they naturally should is a great way to live life. Quite a bit more difficult in today’s dog-eat-dog world, but still possible when surrounded by good people. Cheers to a good week.
A really great post and some wonderful images to go with it – makes you think 🙂
Thank you very much Noeline ~
The one, with the white horse, running off towards the camera…. oh my goodness… love it.
Thanks Jon, I remember taking that shot and feeling/hearing the pounding of the hooves ~ and that perfect determination in the eyes of the horse. One of my favorite shots.
A beautiful documentation of the essence of being a cowboy. You have created a lovely series of photographs. One day I will have to photograph a rodeo. 🙂
There is something about the culture and feel of small towns in the western part of the States, felt good to relive it in this post. I have a feeling you’d enjoy the environment of a rodeo very much. Cheers.
I am sure I would – and will try maybe to get to experience it next year. 🙂
Great shots. Yes, us urban cowboys all wish for a less congested life now and then.
There sure is – the life of a cowboy can be such a contrast to the world in which many of us live in day-to-day.
Great action photography! I felt my adrenaline rising just looking at those cowboys mid fall or leap on their horses! Especially the one on a dapple gray horse. I feel a little sad for the cows/bulls though, I hope they didn’t suffer too much!
And this made me chuckle: “It doesn’t take long for the soft eyes of my horse to be replaced by the glare of my secretary. Her continual banter in Chinese steals me away from my daydream.” LOL
I am glad that your photography and the places you visit help you get through the less thrilling days at work. I totally do that all the time 😛 My senses drink up everything interesting to be stored in a daydream memory bank that can be accessed later during a mundane activity. Thank you, Randall have a wonderful weekend! Gia x
Hi Gia, yes, there are times at work when I need an escape and I am one of the best daydreamers out there 🙂 Thank you for your comment, and the rodeo is a great event, the livestock, horses and all animals are truly cared for ~ simply loved by the stockmen and ranchers/farmers/cowboys & girls. Wishing you a great, great 2016 – and look forward to see more of your pics 🙂 Enjoy ~
I love these photos..I love how you captured the action..you motivate me to hopefully be half as good as you at taking photos
Thank you Andrea, it was great fun trying to capture the action of these beautiful horses and rider…poetry in motion. Wish you and your family a great 2016.
Growing up in a cowboy town like Reno, Nevada, the rodeo was always a cornerstone of the local economy and culture. When watching a rodeo in real time, the adrenaline and danger disappears as quick as it arrives. But to see your photos, that feeling lingers, and allows one to truly appreciate how much of our lives are encapsulated in micro-moments. Another awesome piece, Randall! Way to Let ‘er Buck amigo! 🙂
Thank you Shawn, there is something about growing up in the country and the culture that will always draw us back to our roots. Being around the rodeo back in September made me appreciate it all the more. Wish you a great 2016 and Let’er Buck my friend with many adventures ahead. Take care ~
Each person who is in our life has some role to play, he or she teaches you a lesson only he or she can teach!! An amazing post, as usual your photographs are awesome! The article flows well with the photographs!
I like the way you put it ~ every person can add something special to life, and when you find a group of great people then life is definitely going to turn out OK :-). Thank you very much for your thoughts and wishing you a great 2016 Chaitanya ~ Cheers
You’re welcome!! Have a happy and prosperous year ahead!! 🙂
Reblogged this on Kev's Great Indie Authors and commented:
I’m starting this Rollover with another most excellent post by Randall. This one makes us reflect upon the American Dream. We all have different ideas for it… What’s yours?
Thank you Kev ~ greatly appreciate it.
Awww the photos don’t show for me for some reason!
Hopefully they’ll load…got a couple of photos of broncos which I think you like. You do like the Broncos right 🙂
Cheers to a great year ahead!
Beautiful pictures ! I love the “action” shots, they are perfect
Thank you very much ~ shooting action is quite fun, although I do not do as much of it as I would like (life and work tends to get in the way!). Cheers to a great 2016, wish you the best.
“Patience. Belief. Hard work. Cowboy logic.”
Yes, it strangely and surely makes sense that you found that logic in China because the Little House on the Prairie tales rang so familiar to me for some reason until I realized it was the (Asian) immigrant’s story. My parents’ story. Of dogged hard work, breaking new ground, building a home in a new land. It is an adventure here every time, R. Cowboys. Wow. Stunning action shots.
Very much agree, hard work and cowboy logic is the philosophy of adventurers. Wishing you well D., and mostly healthy and happy 2016. Your comment about the Little House on the Prairie brings back memories, as the book series (and TV show) were my twin sister’s favorite… Take care ~
Nostalgia seems apt today. Thank you and wishing you all good things this year, my friend.
I enjoy your story. We often chose a different path somewhere, sometime in life and it took us to a totally different world…
You really captured the energy and the movement of the cow boys and their lives through your heart and your lens! Bravo~
Vivienne X
Thank you Vivienne, there is nothing quite like getting a peak into a different world…you may always find something you like. I trust the New Year is treating you well 🙂 Cheers to a great 2016, wish you the best.
wandering through tonight to Wish You a very Merry Christmas…..
Take Care…You Matter….
maryrose
Thank you Lady Blue Rose ~ a great wish, and cheers to a great 2016, wish you the best.
I am just wandering through your wonderful photo’s again Randall and so enjoying the scenes again.. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Happy Christmas.. and all the very best wishes for 2016 and beyond.. Hugs Sue
Thank you Sue, returned back to the States for the holidays and it could not have gone better. Wishing you a great year ahead, and look forward to more thoughts and wisdom from your words.
Many thanks my friend.. I hope you will enjoy.. I have some meditation experiences to post shortly 🙂
Beautiful wishes from the Beautiful Fab Four (BFF) ~ wishing you all a great year ahead!
Beautiful pictures, it feels like I was there watching the scene.
Thank you very much!
I like the way you portrayed the spirit of the cowboy through your story and I could really feel the echo. Your great photos complete this story perfectly. 🙂
Thank you very much Camelia ~ I hope to keep chasing this spirit in the New Year. Wishing you well.
Haaapppy neeew yeaaar, Dalo! Thank you for all the beautiful moments, which you give me in this year! In Romania it is customary to make gifts in this final period of the year. You are far from me and I can not to do a physical gift. So I’m going to do a spiritual gift. A little surprise! I’m passionate about poetry and I have another blog, where I write poetry in Romanian. Now I asked to my Romanian blog-friend Nicol (https://doarnicol.wordpress.com/), to translate one of my poems in English. Since she have advanced study of English and is also an excellent poet, he did more than a translation. She made an adaptation, showing that a poem written in English. The story is the same, but the rhythm and rhymes were adapted by Nicol for better look in English. I can not imagine how you perceive these verses (they were conceived for Romanian language), but I want that them to transmit you a little emotion and then, a spiritual tranquility! I hope that the new year, to bring you more time for your beautiful images!
Autumn Nostalgia (Autumn Longing)
Deeply carving their way down the cheek
Autumn tears,
Time scratching marks on the wandering soul
With the nail of silence,
Pointing at the hardened heart,
Seeming to have been vibrating
Up until yesterday.
Neither song nor rhyme
Nor colour zest,
Stir eyes
From their sad arrest.
Dancing around swirling gently
The mild Zephyr breeze,
Carrying in his arms the leaf, a sweet recover,
That in the spring he held close as his lover.
He lays her down carefully
Whilst she is dreaming silently,
Spring rhyme
For the last time.
The Zephyr jolts lively
In a brave whirl,
And then a sudden crash,
Among the clouds up high
Within the crane-tormented sky.
This is such an awesome gift to give ~ incredible poem, the spirit of the words rings true (incredible translation in English, makes me think of how magical they must sound in Romanian…maybe I should study!). Autumn Longing is also a perfect title…reflective of a great experience every year. It has been a great year and look forward to even more in 2016. Cheers to a great 2016, wish you and Nicol the best.
I wish you for 2016 success, happiness and the fulfillment of all desires!
Happy New Year!
Dana
Wonderful to receive your wishes Dana ~ it seems that 2015 was a successful year for us both, so now just have to keep the good momentum going into 2016. Wishing you and your family the best in 2016.
Best to you!