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Emily Walter

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In "Prayer for the Grasses," Missoula writer Emily Walter pens an ode to Montana's landscape to address reconciliation with stolen land. "When will we begin to say we're sorry?" she writes. Read the full poem, accompanied by imagery from Erika Peterman, in Mountain Outlaw's Summer 2026 issue.

"Maybe then we can begin to look into the bold
wide eye of a bison and say, forgive me."
— A Prayer for the Grasses

📝: @walterdefoe
📸: @rikapeterman
🔗: In our bio

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Happy Birthday to this lovely poet. Thank you for this prayer.

A Prayer for the Grasses

In the windswept hills of Three Forks lies a dale with ironclad horses. Statues on the leeward side. Some bold, some bent to the earth to will grasses, all exposed to unrelenting prairie winds. Farther west, five horses walk in a lazy line on the ridge. In biting winter or worn out sun, horses look tired unless moving. Even in Montana, horses saddled in cities look silly, reining the view of some curated white past.

When will we begin to say we're sorry? When will we begin to know it cannot be said in English? Maybe it isn't said in words. Maybe it begins with a single blade of grass. Forgive us for holding what isn't ours. Maybe then we can look into the bold wide eye of a bison and say, forgive me.

-Emily Walter

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I hear her first, pause, look up
and scan the limbs to find her singing.
I wait for the repetition, her rhythm more felt than heard. Cherry blossom,
sun-clean pillowcases pinned to clothesline in our backyard. My mother dressed in sunlight, waiting for the impossible fruit to ripen in their throats. Their song drowning
out any cars on the gravel road,
sudden demands gone.
I know your song, even faint as a lullaby
cooed for my own rest. Your lemon-yellow
bold, subdued crest, rakish black mask,
red wax droplets on the wing feathers.
Colors of us.
You, everyday joy, have a voice to
bewitch us, some echo we find inside.
I want to sing back, sing with you:
The women, we're coming.
We have a lot to say.

- "Waxwings" by Emily Walter

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This is Emily Walter, our other poetry editor! She is a published poet and works for the Missoula Public Library.

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Gilt Edge is a literary and art journal that was started in Missoula, MT by a few women at the university 50 years ago. Proud to announce that is coming back next year and being edited by a fabulous team of writers, this time both women and gender queer individuals. Follow @giltedgejournal to hear more about this journey!

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Gilt Edge is a literary and art journal that was started in Missoula, MT by a few women at the university 50 years ago. Proud to announce that is coming back next year and being edited by a fabulous team of writers, this time both women and gender queer individuals. Follow @giltedgejournal to hear more about this journey!

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Every week it feels like we’re being pulled further apart, but sit in a room with people from all walks of life, looking at each other instead of screens, and you’ll find common ground. We’d laugh, argue, cry, but mostly we’d be surprised by how much we share. We’ve all felt that spark of connection with someone we never expected.

And most of us first felt that in public school. Public schools create common ground by bringing together kids from every kind of family and background. We share the same teachers, the same cafeterias, the same awkward years of growing up. Those experiences - farting in class, tripping in the halls, getting yelled at by a teacher, and still showing up the next day - taught us what it means to be human, to keep going, to keep connecting.

But today, our so-called “online communities” do the opposite. They’re designed to divide us, to amplify the loudest and most extreme voices, while the rest of us either stay quiet or get pulled along. The result? A culture of “Burn!” moments, quick hits of conflict that make Big Tech richer while making us poorer, in both spirit and community.

That’s not who we are. And it’s not who we want to be.

That’s why Public School Kids was created: a statewide initiative that champions our communities and the freedom and opportunity public schools create for Montana kids. It’s about remembering the values that unite us - honesty, fairness, opportunity - and asking a simple question: How do we give every Montana kid the best shot at success?

In the coming weeks you’ll hear from Montana public school kids past and present, from Robin Selvig to Chrysti “the Wordsmith” Smith to Ryan “Ol’ Cal” Callaghan, and learn how their experiences shaped them. We’ll explore how public schools are essential to freedom, and how Montana’s Constitution guarantees every child the right to a quality education and the chance to reach their full potential. Over the next year, we’ll ask whether Montana is keeping that promise and if not, how we can.

Montana is the greatest place on Earth. Let’s make sure every Montana kid has the chance to become the greatest version of themselves. Join us. Donate. Be part of the story.

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Happy August! (What???) first- huge gratitude to all the fire fighting people and first responders for saving homes and so much more yesterday in #winthropwa and throughout #okanogancounty this week. We have been so incredibly blessed to have a relatively smoke free July💛 fingers crossed we may be that fortunate in August too. May this month of August bring some relief for all peoples- especially to the Palestinian people in Gaza. ❤️‍🩹
On the farm, the season has slightly turned. We said goodbye to our nephew Everett, who has been living, working, and playing with us these last two+months. Huge gift to hang around such a vibrant and intentional young person. Thank you Everett for all the goodness you poured into the farm- you will be missed! 💚
Tomorrow @mvfarmersmarket we will have more of the summer vibe- Microgreens, Baby Kale, Garlic, Basil, Parsley, WallaWalla Sweets, Cucumbers, Shishitos, Potatoes, Leeks, Anaheims and Jalapeños! Tomatoes are coming- they’re just taking their sweet time…
All of our Handcrafted Krauts, Cultured Chile and Hot Sauces, Botanical Shrubs, Garlic Paste, and Parsley Pesto will be on the tables. A few seasonal specials too- Basil Simple Syrup and Fresh Cucumber Salad for your drinking and eating pleasure. Come see us and all our other amazing vendors at @mvfarmersmarket only in @twispwa
While we watch the chaos grow daily, the hurt and sorrow and greed and corruption and dishonesty, it feels more important than ever to double down on each other- our neighbors and our broader community. Come join us at the #methowvalleyfarmersmarket for a taste of the goodness available to counter point the grief. And we 💛 seeing you!
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#willowbrookfarmcarlton
#realfoodforthepeople🌱
#willowbrookorganics
#methowvalley
#methowvalleyfarmersmarket
#twispwa
#winthopwa
#mazamawa
#feedyourcommunity
#farmersmarket
#community
#spreadjoy
#free🇵🇸

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Come write with us on Saturday, November 16th! We have four workshop options for you to explore, and we can't wait for you to join us!

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We are back from a sweet trip to Michigan with Eric’s family. Eric was born in Michigan, and spent a lot of time there in his youth, even after his family transplanted to Baltimore when he was a kid. Eric’s maternal grandfather, Cedric Doyle, always had a large garden that provided for his family of 5 kids, and later, a whole crop of grandkids. Eric spent his teenage summers in Suttons Bay with his mom Jan’s twin sister, Judy, and her family. Eric worked with his cousin @thechriswalter in the Cherry orchards most days, and spent the rest of his time diving and snorkeling, looking for fish, in Lake Michigan. The Cherry orchards were Eric’s early introduction to agriculture on a bigger scale than his grandfathers and uncle’s home gardens. Eric would often tell the story of being surrounded by all these yummy looking cherries but the few times he would pop a few in his mouth during the workday, his mouth would immediately swell up and he’d have a reaction, likely from the chemicals sprayed to loosen the cherries before being shook from the trees. Those early Cherry orchard experiences galvanized Eric’s commitment to organic foods and organic food production when he became more educated on that years later in college. That commitment to certified organic practices and best practices for land management and conservation is still a driving force for our small family farm today. All this to say, it was a sweet visit to a beautiful place that helped shape Eric as the farmer, grower, conservationist, and activist that he is today. Thanks Michigan! And thanks to the Wittenbach and Walter clan for the good memories. 💙
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#willowbrookfarmcarlton
#willowbrookorganics
#realfoodforthepeople🌱
#certifiedorganic
#knowwhogrowsyourfood
#supportsmallfarms
#goblue
#michiganmagic

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Pure Michigan 💙

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