Photo by Cole Wilks / Flatlander Fan Page and Channel‘Song of the Elk’ by Alec Ream The Society March 29, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 9 Comments . From hoof and hide, to flank and horn, Amid the wood, was noble born, Upon the field I walked at length, Swift in motion, high in strength, And scarcely did I need to boast, Rare of speech, unheard by most, Until this day, when hoof and bone, And blood and frame and muscle tone, Within this land, where long I’ve trod, I sacrificed, to follow God, My King whose crown was loaned to me; I gave it back, to thankful be. . . Alec Ream is a writer living in Virginia. His poetic work and creative fiction have been widely published. A member of the Demosthenian Literary Society at UGA, he wrote on Lookout Mountain, and continued to write, lecture and work for Delta Kappa Epsilon HQ. He was first published reading to the pledge class of Michigan DKE, in Ann Arbor in 2008. Recently, his poem Green Fire was read at the Washington Literary Society & Debating Union at UVA. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. ***Read Our Comments Policy Here*** 9 Responses Joe Tessitore March 29, 2020 A great poem, and perfect for a Sunday morning. Reply Joseph S. Salemi March 29, 2020 The elk in the photograph was killed with a very powerful bow, which can be seen in the foreground of the picture. Great shot! Reply Cole Wilks March 29, 2020 Thank you. That Bull now feeds my family. Reply Alexander Ream March 29, 2020 May be what it’s all about Brother Tim March 29, 2020 Never killed one would love to nice one Reply Alexander Ream March 29, 2020 thanks Tim – you may yet, King Jesus has all kinda good surprises; He’s good, but not boring. Reply C.B. Anderson March 29, 2020 Elk is one of the few big game animals I haven’t eaten (yet). I’ve tried bear, mountain lion and mule deer, but I’ve heard that elk is the best. From hunters I knew in the mountains of northern Arizona I learned that it’s best to hunt elk when there is snow on the ground, because the animal is so big and has so much latent heat that it’s a good idea to pack the eviscerated body cavity with snow, lest the meat spoil before a hunter can get it home. Moose is something else I’d like to try, but that will not likely happen anytime soon. Reply Steven March 30, 2020 A beautiful poem. Thanks Reply Alexander Ream May 23, 2021 You’re welcome Brother Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Joseph S. Salemi March 29, 2020 The elk in the photograph was killed with a very powerful bow, which can be seen in the foreground of the picture. Great shot! Reply
Alexander Ream March 29, 2020 thanks Tim – you may yet, King Jesus has all kinda good surprises; He’s good, but not boring. Reply
C.B. Anderson March 29, 2020 Elk is one of the few big game animals I haven’t eaten (yet). I’ve tried bear, mountain lion and mule deer, but I’ve heard that elk is the best. From hunters I knew in the mountains of northern Arizona I learned that it’s best to hunt elk when there is snow on the ground, because the animal is so big and has so much latent heat that it’s a good idea to pack the eviscerated body cavity with snow, lest the meat spoil before a hunter can get it home. Moose is something else I’d like to try, but that will not likely happen anytime soon. Reply