Bucolic Lover

by Rachel Turney

I am                 dancing           with cows.

Surrendered to            the night          filled with stars.

Pulling peaches           from verdant trees.

Grooming difficult horses.

I am                 running            by the rushing river.

Platformed alone,                    I gaze at the clouds.

Endless hours,             I practice the art of pareidolia.

I am pulling                 bits of hay       from your long hair.

You are           shaking a bucket         of oats.

I smell you,                 sweat, leather, and flannel.

Swim with me             in the cool waters of the azure lake.

Climb with me            over the west gate into the paddock.

Dance with me            in the emerald pasture             my love.

BIO: Rachel Turney, Ed.D. (she/her) is an educator and artist located in Denver. Her poems, research articles, reviews, and drawings can be found in a variety of publications. Rachel is passionate about immigrant rights, teacher support, and empowering other artists. She is a Writers’ Hour prize winner and Best-of-the-Net nominee. Her photography appears on a few magazine covers. Rachel runs the popular online reading series Poetry (in Brief). She is on staff at Bare Back Magazine with her monthly column Friday Night in the Suburbs. She reads for The Los Angeles Review. Website: turneytalks.com Instagram: @turneytalks Bluesky: rachelturney