A companion to Poetry Out Loud, the Poetry Ourselves competition gives students the opportunity to submit original poetry. The 2021 competition was open to state and jurisdictional champions.

Brady L. Drummond, Montana’s 2021 Poetry Out Loud Champion, is the 2021 Poetry Ourselves written poetry winner for the poem “Wheatgrass.”

"Wheatgrass"

Against the breeze drops a lone feather,
against the azure backdrop angle liquid rays,
against rolling knolls and velvet fields, dotting acres,
            stallion and his mares graze.
Against the still surface, ripples break, water striders darting blue-green,
against moss and stone, minnows flashing and flipping,
            a soft, young muzzle dripping, whiskers spraying
teardrops against a smooth roan coat, inky ears hearing.
On the hillside, wheatgrass swaying mute buckling knees, milk bubbles bursting, warning
whinnies.
On the day when the sun never sets, energetic foals collapse into exhaustive warmth.
            A mother grazes.
Mares, swishing tails against flies, rest in the shade of elderly oaks;
On their young, a watchful eye.
Against the platinum leader hovers another mare, inky as the ears of the colt.
Her son, against the skyline, stands proud over his herd, his offspring, his mares.
            Colts and fillies play,
rubbing, shaking manes, curling lips;
fighting against unstable legs, they dance with one another.
            A nicker across the reservoir, a colt in a happy frolick to his dam,
dark ears blending against dark.
Sweet drops fall, muzzle against udder.
            As shadows begin to cover,
against the grass whispering, the stallion moves for his family.
Against the horizon, the moon brushes a white gloss over the herd;
            sleepy foals fall under silver blanket,
            wrapping a warming hand against the mares,
assuring the Stallion against any fears.
Stars dance against a black stage.
            The herd lies in the deep cushion of their home.