Big Sky Buckeye

A writer's journey continues

About bigskybuckeye

Born in the Big Sky Country of Montana and now living in the Buckeye State of Ohio, Richard is the creative mind behind Big Sky Buckeye. Retired after 40 years of teaching, I enjoy writing, photography, traveling, and following a healthy lifestyle.

Resurrection Hope

Posted on April 19, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

Our Lord’s Resurrection

Brings forth Salvation

Photo by Peter on Pexels.com

His Father guides Abraham to faithfully pray

Allowing acts of devotion with richness to say

King David speaks of the coming Messiah

Just as images emanate forth from Isaiah

Skeptics scoff, declare Resurrection is untrue

Christ proclaims He has indeed risen—so true!

The Father’s fulfills His grace-filled plan

Reaching out to us with His paternal hand

God generates hope for a darkness-filled land

All witness the piercings on His son’s hands

Christ’s blood is spilled for your sins and mine

Bringing the Cross front and center for all time

God carries forth His amazing grace

Making Resurrection a genuine place

Christ comes alive to witness and call

I am the Resurrection and life for all

Jesus brings Salvation to the righteous

Offering hope to even the unrighteous

Being saved by red blood shed for thee

Humbling ourselves and taking a knee

Many believers arrive to proudly proclaim

Christ’s Resurrection is more than a game

Each and every day all should always say

Christ offers His shed blood to fully pay

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

Our Lord’s Resurrection

Brings forth Salvation

If you are looking for more Christian-based poetry, here are links to some of Big Sky Buckeye’s past publications.

Final Battle

Posted on April 17, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

An outdoor mural captures the heroism of Native American warriors

On a sunny, blistering hot June day and hour

Two cultures collide in an epic that now towers

White, European culture ever advances to take

Native American culture realizes what’s at stake

America’s first citizens reside as native born

Now witnessing their way of life being torn

The Little Bighorn River provides a place for rest

Nestled in a large village are warriors, the best

Journeying into the Montana Territory for a cause

U.S. Calvary relentlessly travels without a pause

Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho await

The brave soldiers never realize their final fate

Lakota spiritual leader Sitting Bull envisions all

“Thick as grasshoppers” come soldiers to fall

The 7^th Calvary invades the stream called Greasy Grass

Led by Lieutenant Colonel Custer, many die much too fast

Crazy Horse and Gall command warriors in this feat

Annihilating most of Custer’s troops in total defeat

The marker at the lower right identifies where Lt. Colonel George Custer fell during the battle. His remains are interred at West Point.

The coalition of Native Americans wins today

Bringing honor to warriors with much to say

The great Sioux nation wins this final showdown

But their way of life will enter its final sundown

A collision of cultures—Native and White

Today, there is no reason to ever fight

The human rights of the Native Americans still blaze

Working to preserve a culture without further decay

Little Bighorn Battlefield is located in Montana about an hour’s drive from Billings on Interstate 90. The pictures shown were taken at the battlefield site a few years ago.

If you are interested in reading more about Montana, check out these previous posts:

Visit the Magic City (Billings, Montana)

Photo Gallery (includes numerous photographs of Montana as well as Ohio)

A Hole in the Middle

Posted on April 16, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

Enjoy something sweet on Big Sky Buckeye and hopefully share a laugh with me! Due to his crusade against sugar (and successfully keeping his blood sugar under control), he cannot even remember the last time that such a treat touched his lips.

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

Simple, yet decadent pleasures they are

Being quite easy to locate from your car

Driving down the road each day

Now you wonder what it is, I say

The coffee’s on and ready to go

Include a doughnut for the road

Missing doughnuts for so many weeks

Passing them up is never for the meek

Call them “donuts”, many Americans say

For me, I prefer “doughnuts” to this day

My doctor instructs me, “No sugar for you!”

Now my doughnut days are sadly through

However, doughnut temptation sings a song

If I reach for one, there is a deafening gong!

Sorry mister, there will never be doughnuts for you

So I continue down the road, singin’ the sad blues

Who made the doughnut hole in the middle?

Now that has always been quite the riddle

Waking up in the middle of a lonesome night

Dreaming of doughnuts makes a sugary sight

While some folks are addicted to Krispy Kreme

My doughnut tastes envision a different theme

Boston Cream, Long John, and Jelly

All sound delicious to my hungry belly

Old-fashioned, Sour Cream, and Glazed

Why can’t I enjoy a simple one today?

Now in my car and hungrily driving at midnight

The Jolly Pirate Donut shop stays open all night

I pull into the empty parking lot with sad surprise

The sign reads, “Closed tonight”—alas no prize!

This poem could continue on and on and on for sure

Does anyone have a doughnut to share with this sir?

Here’s a final footnote:

In the classic film of “It Happened One Night”

Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are a fright

Gable, the newspaper man, enlightens

Colbert, the heiress, never frightens

As they travel the back roads and stop

For a cup of hot coffee at a tiny shop

. . . with doughnuts for dunkin’

In case you missed some past sweet posts, here are some links to take you back for more. Enjoy!

E. M. Bounds Quote

Posted on April 16, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

low angle photography of cross on top of mountain

Photo by Thomas uit Apeldoorn on Pexels.com

Only God can move mountains, but faith and prayer can move God.

From Mark 11:23: “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. “

To An Athlete

Posted on April 14, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

baseball player in gray and black uniform running

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

There are little eyes upon you

And they’re watching night and day

There are little ears that quickly

Take in every word you say

There are little hands all eager

To do anything you do

And a little boy who’s dreaming

Of the day he’ll be like you

You’re the little fellow’s idol

You’re the wisest of the wise

In his little mind about you

No suspicions ever rise

He believes in you devoutly

Holds that all you say and do

He will say and do in your way

When he’s grown up like you

There’s a wide-eyed little fellow

Who believes you’re always right

And his ears are always open

And he watches day and night

You are setting an example

Every day in all you do

For the little boy who’s waiting

To grow up and be like you

Author Unknown

When I was coaching years ago at a high school in Montana, the football coach gave all of the coaches a framed copy of this poem. I have carried it with me for all of these years, and it has special meaning to me as one who worked with young athletes for about 30 years.

This poem is easy to find on other Internet sites. Some of the posts use a different title, but the words remain the same. The author has remained unknown. Many young athletes aspire to follow an older athlete . . .

Waiting to grow up and be like you!

Spring’s Masterpiece

Posted on April 13, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

2019 April 8 Chestnut Ridge 003.JPG

Witnessing God’s creation in the early dawn light

Illuminating from the sun’s rays, always so bright

Walking again on the trails at Chestnut Ridge this morn

Experiencing nature’s miracle, almost like being reborn

Hearing a chorus of birds, heralding the arrival

Welcoming all back from this winter’s survival

Flowing beneath a small bridge, a tiny creek runs by

Catching the run-off from nature’s tears which cry

Crying with happiness at God’s awesome wonder

Waking up the land from a long winter’s slumber

Sprouting skyward along the fringes of a narrow path

Adding a fresh, green carpet with color ready to splash

Rustling through the still leafless trees

Blowing wind brings a coolness for free

Appreciating these moments with God alone

Checking never to see who texts to my phone

Dashing down a steep hill, moves a solitary deer

Escaping my camera, she has nothing to fear

Spying the final remnants of an eroding tree stump

Framing its presence with moss growing in clumps

Flying in, a robin red-breast assesses the ground

Thinking to myself, haven’t seen you much around

Holding a brief meeting, a pair of squirrels scatters

Scurrying away to a safe, rotting log, now in tatters

Noticing few walking these trails, not very fast

Allowing me to enjoy a conversation that lasts

Winking through thickets of trees, towering and ancient

Shining sun brings out God’s true and loving patience

2019 April 8 Chestnut Ridge 008.JPG

Experience a Sweet Treat

Posted on April 13, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

Do you enjoy a small, sweet taste of chocolate from time to time?

Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes a few years ago, my dietary habits have changed significantly. With additional help from taking meds and putting in lots of exercise, my current health condition has improved dramatically. I am no longer considered pre-diabetic (Hooray!).

While Big Sky Buckeye maintains a healthy lifestyle, sometimes even a writer needs to enjoy something sweet (in a good way) with chocolate. Truthfully, I am more addicted to coffee than sweets.

Here’s a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Carb Bombs. My version of these “carb bombs” is unique to my tastes. I have modified the original ingredients to the ones shown below, but you can search the Internet for other versions of this simple recipe.

Quick to prepare
Easy to make
Low-carbohydrate
Low-sugar

Chocolate Peanut Butter Carb Bombs

Melt together (slowly):

½ Cup creamy peanut butter
¼ Cup cooking oil (vegetable, canola, coconut, etc.)
1 Oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
1 Tablespoon cocoa

Heat the mixture slowly on low temperature until all of the ingredients have melted. Then remove from the heat.

Add and stir in:

½ Teaspoon vanilla

Pour the mixture into molds (I use small muffin liners in a regular size muffin pan. The recipe will make 12 servings.

Freeze the molds until totally frozen. Then remove them from the muffin pan to store in an air-tight container or a zip-lock bag in the freezer. The “carb bombs” melt quickly when they are out of the freezer.

This version uses more peanut butter without adding any type of sweetener. This adjustment brings out more peanut butter flavor without taking away from the chocolate.

Additional Notes:

Each serving has about 3.6 grams of carbohydrates
Sugar-free peanut butter can be substituted for regular peanut butter
In my most current batch, one almond was placed at the bottom of each mold before filling each (just depends on your tastes)

This recipe has been thoroughly tested by Big Sky Buckeye and two of his grandchildren, who all give it an impressive “Thumbs-Up”.

If you appreciate additional sweetness, you will find more of it in these previously published poems. Enjoy!

Sweetest Dream
Sweetest Love

Heavenly Message

Posted on April 10, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

When I stumble

My body tumbles

Weakness fills me

Not worthy to see

Attempting to move

Just not in my groove

People walk right by

None saying even “hi”

Ignoring me there

Silence never fair

Feeling so much alone

Picking up my phone

Finding short text to read

Responding to my needs

Standing up now

Kneeling to bow

The message sustains

No, I’m not to blame

“My brother, rise up thee

Now, always follow me”

Jesus!

Elfchen Series #3

Posted on April 9, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Actor

John Wayne

Westerns and more

The Searchers, True Grit

Legendary

Photo by Torsten Dettlaff on Pexels.com

Beautiful

Lovely woman

Amazingly stunning dress

She’s a hot ticket!

Always

Here is a link to “Elfchen Series #2” in case you missed it.

Haiku Series #9

Posted on April 9, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

shallow focus photography of brown tree trunk

Photo by Mahima on Pexels.com

Buckeye Tree

Found in Ohio

Worthless nut, falling to earth

Send to Michigan

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

First Snow

Snowflakes flutter down

Gently covering the grass

God paints a landscape

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Wet Paint

Puppy in front yard

Painting the front porch’s floor

Little, gray paw prints

Here is a link to “Haiku Series #8” in case you missed it.

About bigskybuckeye

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Carb Bombs

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Buckeye Tree

First Snow

Wet Paint

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