Neil Meili

Zen Cowboy Poet & Freelance Philosopher

Skip to content

Home
Contact
Neil’s Books
Poems
Kind Words
A Neil a Day Poems

Tag Archives: Regret

Sleeping on MAGA’s Couch

Audio Recordings, News / tagged Control, MAGA, Politics, Regret / January 22, 2025 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Primaried now and out in the cold
cause I couldn't be bullied to bend

You might be wearing the red hat now
could be eating orange snow in the end

Past Translating Present

Audio Recordings, News / tagged Dictators, Joy, MAGA, Nazi, Perspective, Power, Regret, Trump / January 21, 2025 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

In her youth she'd been a Hitler Youth
filled with purpose and power
and the joy of pre-teen camaraderie

All now dimmed and damned wheen seen
through smoke from Auschwitz ovens
though somewhere in her still it shines
brightest diamond of her life

This was the story, or was it two
she sought my help to put to poem

That was thirty years ago
I might do a better job today
informed by watching rallies
filled with power hope and joy
and how it will look in their regret

Bear Wisdom

Audio Recordings / tagged Conscience, Guilt, Hibernation, Regret, Sleep / February 15, 2024 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Bears can sleep the winter through
because they take no regrets to bed

And if you try to bring them some
they'll wisely bite you dead

Breathing in Winter

Audio Recordings, Relationships / tagged Communication, Regret / December 18, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

1 Reply

Cousin Wayne

Audio Recordings, Family, Relationships / tagged Alcohol, Regret / October 7, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

When Wayne was thirteen
he had the finest blondest hair
the finest features and the finest mind
of all the cousins round

A city boy and cooler about everything than us
until we took him hunting

When his first shot hit the rabbit
he ran and cried and held it till it died

At eighteen he quit school with A grades
a month before graduation to get a jump on a job
met a girl and bragged of achievement on first date

Over achievement it turned out to be
quick marriage, quick, two children, three

Army for security, liquor for the pain
it was twenty years before I saw him again

He was in a downstairs bar
sitting there as coarse and thick as adobe brick

I wanted to roll it all back
reach in for the lost fineness and yank it all inside out

And hold him like the rabbit when he cried
still innocent when it died

1 Reply

Most Funeral Pews

Audio Recordings, Relationships / tagged Death, Grief, Love, Mourning, Regret / June 16, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Most funeral pews are filled
with shoulda said I Love You more

while those who said it every day
wish for more days to have said it

but with no wish to change pews
with those who never said it

The Road Less Re-travelled

Audio Recordings, Family, Personal Growth, Remembering / tagged Forgiveness, Regret / June 11, 2023 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Giving up hope for a better past
has been recommended by many
for forgiveness and for happiness

Easy enough to say when the sun
is shining on the road you're on
but what of the dark and rainy nights
with the wipers scratching the glass
what of sleepless photo albums rich
with pictures that you didn't take

Happiness is fine for givers of advice
for those of all of us flipping pages
some forgiveness would be very nice

Ball Lightning

Audio Recordings, Family, Nature / tagged Regret / July 22, 2022 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

In the front door out the back

A ball of lightning through the barn
in the story dad would tell

I wonder now if the light was white
and if it made a sizzling sound
as some who've seen one have described
All happened in a blink I guess, and gone
like this, and all the questions that I didn't ask

Judy

Audio Recordings, Poems about Poetry, Relationships / tagged Grief, Regret, Suicide / April 21, 2022 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Judy was a beauty
tall and blonde and shy
early this month she decided to die

The soft wise eyes, the curling lashes
all now ashes

We have been friends for twenty years
hugs and coffee when in town, cards when far away

And always the latest poetry

She said it was important, and it touched her
in places nothing and no one else could reach

Three years ago
I put my neck in a green eyed noose

I sent no cards, I did not call

I do not know if I could have saved her
though touch and poetry have been known to

I only know I hate what I did and didn’t do
I only know that she drowned out there alone
I only know it was a long time since I had thrown her a line

Cousin Wayne

Audio Recordings, Family, Relationships / tagged Alcohol, Regret / April 11, 2022 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

When Wayne was thirteen
he had the finest blondest hair
the finest features and the finest mind
of all the cousins round

A city boy and cooler about everything than all of us
until we took him hunting

When his first shot hit the rabbit
he ran and cried and held it till it died

At eighteen he quit school with A grades
a month before graduation to get a jump on a job
met a girl and bragged of achievement on first date

Over achievement it turned out to be
quick marriage, quick, two children, three

Army for security, liquor for the pain
it was twenty years before I saw him again

He was in a downstairs bar
sitting there as coarse and thick as adobe brick

I wanted to roll it all back
reach in for the lost fineness and yank it all inside out

And hold him like the rabbit when he cried
still innocent when it died

1 Reply

Post navigation

← Older posts

Search

Neil’s Latest Book Available in Paperback and Large Print Edition though Amazon worldwide

Social

View zencowboypoet’s profile on Facebook
View @meilineil’s profile on Twitter
View neilmeili’s profile on Instagram

Want More Poetry? Sign Up Here.

Ken Christopher on Buddy TrainingFebruary 19, 2025
Yep, tough love
Kimberly Heinrich on Dog YearsFebruary 18, 2025
You could not possibly have known that today was the day that I had to have my beloved dog euthanized.…
Barbara Joy Bruce on FebruaryFebruary 13, 2025
love it! Thanks, Neil!
Ken Christopher on Ancestry . BarnFebruary 7, 2025
You bet; nice one Neil
Barb on Her Mother Sings to VioletsFebruary 2, 2025
💜💓💜

Audio Recordings
Cattle
Cowboy Poetry
Cows
Environment
Family
Farm
Flight
Haiku
Limerick
Manure
Nature
News
Nostalgia
Personal Growth
Pilots
Poems about Poetry
Ranch Life
Relationships
Remembering
String Too Short To Save
Travel
Uncategorized

Tags

Aboriginal Aging Alcohol Art Art & Artists Autumn Birds Childhood Connection Covid19 Death Dogs Dreams Faith Family Farm Fear First Nations Friendship Gratitude Greece Grief Hope Horses Humor Love Mother Music Nature Perspective Poetry Politics Prairie Psychology Ranch Life Regret Religion sensuality Solitude Spring Trump Voice Dialogue War Winter Wisdom

©2015 Neil Meili. All Right Reserved.

Theme Designed By ThemeVan | Powered by WordPress

Loading Comments...

Write a Comment...

Email

Name

Website