(An ekphrastic poem, inspired by the
Frederic Remington Exhibit at MMAC)
Words with Wings Campers read poems inspired by art at Missoula Museum of Art & Culture
A herd of horses thunder across the pageYou can hear their hooves
thumping in the dust
You can hear the shot from the rifle
that knocks the man off his horse
You can hear the native people’s
feet hitting the ground
as they dance for their dead.
And as the herd of horses charge
You can see the dust
billowing behind them
You can see the buffalo
charging for her calf
You can see the horses
wading in for a drink
And as the dust billows
You can feel the thundering
that shakes the ground
from the horses’ pounding hooves
You can feel the excitement
of the men who race through town
on horseback
You can feel the hope to prosper
that brings people to the West