Ellie Snyder - Of Herd

Montana poet Ellie Snyder takes readers into the rugged landscapes of the American West with her sturdy poem “Of Herd”. The focus of the poem, a bison, is echoed in the block-like symmetry of the poem’s format, and the powerful megafauna is found to be a reflection of the coarse bluff upon which it stands. Ellie told The Dewdrop that “Of Herd” is set in the wildness of Yellowstone National Park, allowing a window into the richness and life in a place considered stark and unforgiving. “[The poem’s] meaning lies in the subtle changes wrought by exploration of wide open space,” she explained.

Of Herd

On the coarse prow of the bluff ——-the bull bison stands rooted

On the coarse prow of his back ——-starlings perch facing east

Scanning for insects flossed —from the yellow stalks

By the brush of his beard —–the caked mud of his hocks

When he lowers his brow to food —–seeds fall to earth from the dense

Wet earth–colored hair ——-the soil tan and dry

The starlings and the bison eat ——-the bluff rolls into high noon

The seeds lay atop the land —but rain and other animals come

Ellie Snyder

Montanan poet Ellie Snyder writes and manages social media for a global nonprofit and is passionate about literature, fashion and music. Find her work in Pangyrus, Magpie Zine, Pinky, The Headlight Review and elsewhere, and find her fitchecks on Instagram @elliegsnyder.