Neil Meili

Zen Cowboy Poet & Freelance Philosopher

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An Invitation

Uncategorized / September 21, 2018 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Neil wanders the world in awe – Mirrors and metaphor everywhere. You can join him on this journey with a Poem in your Inbox every day. CLICK HERE to start today

Grandfather’s Pipe

Audio Recordings, Family, Nostalgia / tagged Connections, Remembrance / June 27, 2026 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Long after he had died
I used to smoke my grandfather's pipe

Not really one of his old pipes
but a knobby meerschaum that I bought
probably because it reminded me of him
the sweetness of his tobacco and his being

At least it reminds me of them now
Or was it him smoking it and me

1 Reply

Grandfather’s Moustache

Audio Recordings, Family, Travel / tagged Hair, Scent, Smells / June 26, 2026 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

The moustaches
of my grandfather and Carl Jung
(Twins separated at birth)
have lives of their own

Jung's stays in Switzerland
combing the unconscious

My grandfather's travels to Brazil and to Canada
gathers rainforest moisture, dirty thirties dirt
and remnants of strong cheese and pipe smoke
(Carl's certainly contains some of that too)

When grandfather sneezes, I get to share it all

Things Dad Didn’t Have to Do

Audio Recordings, Family / tagged Modern Life, Technology / June 25, 2026 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Image thanks to Bessi at Pixabay

Father’s Poem

Audio Recordings, Family, Poems about Poetry, Relationships / tagged Care, Comfort, Death, Grief, Loss, Nurturing / June 24, 2026 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

My father's poems
did not come down to us on paper

He was eight years old when his mother died
his youngest brother not yet three

They say he adopted the care
of the sweet sad child
and told him a story each night

Night after night after night
new stories he made up each night

And he would gather him up in the story
and hold him there
until he slept

Farm Dog

Audio Recordings, Farm, Ranch Life / tagged Death, Dogs, Farewell, Goodbye, Love, pets, Rules / June 23, 2026 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

My dad doesn't allow pets in the house
they weren't allowed in on the farm
where he grew up either

Once, when he was eight
the dog came up the stairs

down the hall to the room on the right
where his young mother lay dying

Laid his head for a moment on her lap
and went out again

Hugless in Saskatchewan

Audio Recordings, Family, Relationships / tagged Childhood / June 22, 2026 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

I grew up in a time
when fathers did not hug
their children
and even less there sons

All my grandchildren
now have sore ribs
in my making up for that

Image by Imtiyaz Quraishi from Pixabay

The Question

Audio Recordings, Family, Farm, Ranch Life, Relationships / tagged Connection, Conversation, Sharing / June 21, 2026 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

There's Dad sitting
by the after branding fire
with some after branding beers

And we get to talking
heart to heart
of trails together and apart

And of the things we saw
which one brought us awe

Buicks

Audio Recordings, Family, Haiku / tagged Cars, Confidence, Success / June 20, 2026 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Our father drove Buicks
we knew that we would succeed
the road had been paved

Good Advice

Audio Recordings, Relationships / tagged Grief, Humor, Loss / June 19, 2026 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

Whenever anything got broke or lost
Kim's mother would always say:
Don't cry over anything that can't cry over you

Which is a good thing to remember
when your life becomes a country song
and your dog, and your wife
and your truck are gone

Your dog will miss you right away
and cry with the coyotes all the night
your wife will miss you later - maybe
and cry for all the coulda's that might

but you're sadly mistaken
if you think that old C-10 Chevy
following the repo truck down the lane
is going to miss you half as much as you miss it

All They Survey

Audio Recordings, Cattle, Cows, Farm, Ranch Life / tagged Contentment, Pride / June 18, 2026 / by neil_2015_wordpress@neilmeili.com

My father
would stand for hours
just looking at his cows

Like God leaning
on a rail fence in heaven
pleased with his creation

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Sandi Hebley on Grandfather’s PipeJune 27, 2026
Sweet!!
Sandi Hebley on What the Hell VillanelleJune 10, 2026
Had to go look up “villanelle.” 😏
Sandi Hebley on The AlbumsJune 6, 2026
💕 I love our old albums!
Sandi Hebley on JudyJune 1, 2026
😢 Hugs!
Kimberly Heinrich on The Other WellMay 31, 2026
Neil: THANK YOU for this!! Love it!! You are the best!!!💕💕

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