Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Deadly Dance of the Mammoth and Smilodon

By Steven Wade Veatch

Above the mammoth the sky turns red 
as the sun rose, rising from its dawn bed.
Soon the mighty beast would know,
A new day starts where sheets of ice flow.

It was spring—a cold time of year—
when mammoths keep their young near.
A mammoth mother follows an ancient trail
with her young in tow, so tiny and so frail.

Survival is not easy and is based largely on luck.
As days lengthen and spring brings mud and muck.
The insects buzz, grass turns green, and buds burst.
Warmth brings pools of water to slake the mammoth’s thirst.

There’s been no sign of Smilodon—nothing yet to fear.
The woodlands are quiet, only a sloth might appear
The herds move together with their young for protection,
but they make too much noise, unable to avoid detection.

A Smilodon comes to a halt, and smells the air, 
and the mammoths take off in a thundering scare.
The herd will live in peace for another day
As they rule the land and make their way.





Thursday, January 29, 2026

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Guest Poet Carlee Spears

Tiger

Stealthy, beautiful

Hunting, running, stalking

Striped hunter, apex predator

Carnivore


By Carlee Spears












Note: Carlee's poem is an acrostic poem. She is 14 years old and is the niece of Steven Veatch. 



Guest Poet Carlee Spears


The Serengeti’s Shadow

Protecting the family

Roar echoing through the heat

Elephants give them wide berth

Dark mane flowing

Ambush in the golden grass

Teeth like ivory daggers

Onward the lionesses strike together

Roar the shakes the land


By Carlee Spears










Note: Carlee's poem is an acrostic poem. She is 14 years old and is the niece of Steven Veatch. 



Guest Poet Carlee Spears


 Deer

Skittish proud
Browsing watching standing
Forests thickets antlers watchful
Standing guarding bounding
Father protecting
Majestic




By Carlee Spears

Note: Carlee's poem is the Diamanté form. She is 14 years old and is the niece of Steven Veatch. 

Guest Poet Wyatt Spears


Donkey
Humble, grey
Trudging, straining, enduring
Hooves, rocks, veins, ore
Weighing, gleaming, tempting
Radiant, precious
Gold!


By Wyatt C. Spears

A donkey and a prospector in Cripple Creek, Colorado—the World’s Greatest Gold Camp. Photo courtesy of the Cripple Creek District Museum. CCDM 808.

Note: Wyatt's poem is the Diamanté form. He is 16 years old and is the nephew of  Steven Veatch. 


Thursday, January 1, 2026

Smilodon: A Primal Portrait

Ancient chills cling to the earth as a heavy silence descends

Beneath gnarled branches, the very air thickens with dread

Crouched in the shadows, the Smilodon prepares its assault

Draped in pale gold, it haunts the brush with lethal grace

Eyes, intently focused, fix on an unseen prey

Fangs, curved like ivory daggers, catch the light

Grim power vibrates through the coarse grain of its mane

Hunched shoulders ripple; a tidal wave of force held in check

Imposing in shadow, it carves a dark shape through the green

Jaws, built for the kill, remain locked in a terrifying calm

Killing intent burns deep, the singular spark in its soul

Low to the earth, it creeps forward—a silent, golden threat

Muscles coil like wire, every fiber primed for the attack

Near the tree line it waits, a phantom in its domain

Outlining the distance, it measures the distance of its prey

Powerful forelegs, anchored deep, prepare to launch the strike

Raw sinew stretches as the great cat breaks into a sprint

Saber-teeth, the namesake of terror, are bared to the sky

Thick-necked and brutal, it slams into the side of its mark

Unstoppable momentum carries the hunter through the kill

Vales and frozen forests echo with the sounds of the struggle

Warrior of a lost world, a living embodiment of prehistoric power

Xenacious hunger drives its existence, a constant, primal need

Yielding its spirit to the cycle of life, the titan stands tall

Zenith of its era, it vanishes into the mists of time

Smilodon from 1903. By Charles Robert Knight.
Public Domain.