Poetry by Doug Stewart

Poetry by Doug Stewart

Heroes

By Doug Stewart
Written for his Dad, Warren Stewart’s
Retirement Party

Heroes are people who are special to us,
They may be famous or fictional,
or just drive a school bus,
A grade school teacher, a baseball coach,
Then later on, our children or husbands or wives.

Heroes are people we look up to,
Who never seem to get down,
They always have the answers we are looking for,
When they come around.

Heroes inspire us to do better,
They pull us through,
They sometimes just give us
Something to look forward to.

Heroes have something special,
A certain power or intellect,
That sets them apart for the rest of us,
And enables them to survive the worse of wrecks.

I think of all the Heroes
That have passed through my life.
Those people I look up to,
That I wanted to be just like.

Some I never met, I just read about them in books,
Other I went to school with or saw on TV,
Catching the bad guys and locking up the crooks.

Heroes provide us with a distraction from stresses
That come along in our dull and boring lives.
What we don’t realize is that we too may be Heroes
In someone else’s eyes.

A Hero can be anyone,
Even someone plain and simple like me and you.
So think about that the next time
You are wondering what is the right thing to do.

When I think about the Heroes that have touched me
And made me into who I am,
The one that keeps coming up
Is just a normal, common man.

A father and a friend,
Always there to offer a guiding hand.
Always right, never wrong, not hardly the truth,
Just a different perspective,
And sometimes a better point of view.

I think about my childhood,
And the memories all include,
Times spent with my Hero,
My father, was and is a pretty cool dude.

We’ve been to the top of many a mountain peak,
We’ve lad down on frozen ground behind our decoys,
Hiding from a flock of geese.

We’ve fished a lot of rivers where the big brook trout lay,
And an occasional bull elk, together, we have slayed.
We’ve worn out our boots stomping through the brush,
Pushing ring neck pheasants, so in the air they would flush.

The time we have had together,
Has been compromised and less than we would like,
Life has a way of taking our freedom
in exchange for stress and strife.

A new chapter is about to open in my Hero’s life,
A new devotion to old passions,
Which have lately been pushed aside.

I feel sorry for his horses, they retired long ago,
And that fat old bird dog better get in shape,
Cause bird huntin’ they will go.

We better buy him some new boots,
His will soon be worn through.
I’m sure from running circles,
Just wondering what next to do.

Or maybe a pad or paper,
So that he can make a list,
Of all the things he wants to do
And everything he doesn’t want to miss.

So now he moves on through a newly open door,
To another adventure he’s patiently waited for.

We all wish the best for him,
on life’s new winding road.
I know he will make the most of his time,
It’s just the way he rolls.

He finds the silver lining in every cloud he sees,
And he will always be a Hero,
In the eyes of you and me.
So Hero it is, it’s been decided by me,
I think if you ask around,
Lots of folks would agree.

Money drives some, others love power.
Some just watch the clock and put in their hours.
That’s not for me, nor for my father.
We have a passion for helping people,
It’s a gift not a bother.

So I think we shall see what the future will hold,
And wait anxiously for the story to unfold.

Dream Big Dreams

By Doug Stewart
December, 2002

Can you imagine being on the moon,
Or can’t you see past the roof in this room?
You must take things beyond what you can see.
You must look past what is handed to you and me.

What is here are the essentials of life.
The bare minimum, which can lead to stress and strife.
But look beyond what seems to make sense.
Go ahead and peek over that real tall fence.

For what you find out there, beyond this place
Might just bring a new-found smile to your face.
For dreams are free, they don’t cost a dime.
If you try, you’ll like it and it will help pass the time.

See, the limits we have put on ourselves
Are from giving in to peer pressure and putting our dreams on a shelf.
Are you going to accept the status quo?
Or are you going to go where no one else goes?

Our dreams are what drive us and bring out our best.
They’re the lights that guide us when we’re put to the test.
Go ahead, dream and follow your heart.
You might be surprised and to others look smart.

To dream is true freedom, expressed in our minds.
Let’s see where they take us.
Maybe we will end up successful
And heroes of our time.

Most of all, achievement (no matter what shape or size)
Started as a dream in someone’s inner eyes.
Remember dreams are free, so jump in … get your start.
Who knows where you’ll end up when you follow your heart.

A better place, a better time.
A better world we can find.
The answers all lie deep in our dreams
Locked up in our minds.

The Arabian Horse Breeder

This is the year.
I can’t wait ‘til spring.
I’ve made the golden cross
And bet everything.

See, this mare of mine
Is bred from bottom to top,
And the stud I bred her to
Would make most people’s jaws drop.

His name is Ali Baba
By the great Sudan.
He was stolen from Arabia
Then gave back again.

He’s big, he’s bold,
His name means “fire.”
I know this is the one.
I will soon be able to retire.

A chance of a lifetime
To breed to this stallion.
At the Egyptian Event,
He won the bronze medallion.

When the baby comes,
It will be one of one.
There won’t be another like him.
He the only son.

He not for sale
At any price.
He’ll set the world on fire.
Boy, he’s gonna be nice.

Well, spring came,
But not without surprise.
The mare had her colt …
A red roan with two blue eyes.

Now, once again,
I can’t wait ‘til spring
I’ve made the golden cross
And bet everything.

The Trail Less Traveled

By Doug Stewart
December, 2002

Today I dreamed of tall grass in a meadow,
Surrounded with trees,
The sweet smell of sage,
And wildflowers on the breeze.

The best horse I own,
And my favorite saddle,
I was riding with purpose see,
I had to find my lost cattle.

Up on the ridge tops,
Down by the river,
I strained my senses for sign,
And that breeze made me shiver.

For fall was commin’
And shortly the snow.
Now where in this hell
Did my cattle go?

See the young and the old are already
Down on winter range,
But the rogues and the outlaws,
They never change.

They don’t conform,
Or fit any mold.
They’re just like some cowboys
And their freedom they hold.

They hide out alone
In the brush and the briar,
Their freedom alone
Is their only desire.

Smart some would say,
I dare not speculate,
I feel sometimes
I can almost relate.

To the desire of freedom without chains that bind,
And the chance to make choices
With your gut feelings,
Instead of your mind.

To not always be politically correct,
Or when you feel that fire,
Just let it burn to see,
If you can live through the wreck.

Wake up one day,
Saddle up your horse,
Ride out of town
Without any remorse.

To climb a great mountain
Just for the view.
Not to look down on others,
Just do it for you.

See life just goes by
Without the slightest glitch,
If you don’t ever try to ride
That horse you know might buck and pitch.

The easy or safe road is deep with ruts,
From people conforming
Watching life go by
Sittin’ on their butts.

That road is too dusty,
And ruts to deep.
I choose a different trail
that’s longer and more steep.

But view from here is
Second to none,
And if more people tried it
they’d think it’s more fun.

Adventure around each bend,
This trail belongs to me,
I’m the only one on it you see.

Now this path I travel
It’s not for the meek.
You must be ambitious and strong,
You won’t last if you’re weak.

I pass by others alone at crossroads,
They all have purpose
And minds that are open, not closed.

Come travel my path,
Just walk with a smile,
And see if you like it,
Maybe stay for a while.

But you will find,
A road of your own,
And you’ll follow your heart,
Until it leads you on home.