What does it mean to have
a meaningful relationship
with an animal
cats disdain us
except for feeding time
and when they seek
a comfortable lap
whilst dogs follow faithfully
and would sit on our grave
till we returned
but is there a deeper bond
than that between
the horse and rider
The Lone Ranger
the Republican wet dream
of a man free from government
rode Silver magnificently
across the plains
trusting him with his life
where a single gopher hole
could bring death
the anonymous Indians
bareback on anonymous mounts
were grudgingly allowed
their almost mystical mastery
of horseflesh but were
the enemy regardless
Must a horse be broken in
or is whispering
a kinder way to instil
a lifelong relationship
in a horse larger and stronger
than the man or woman
who they will permit to ride them
even into the din of battle
or the fracas of a hostile mob
I never rode a horse
the nearest being
a donkey ride up the steeps
of Santorini and I suffered
all the way to think
of my weight on this
patient, sturdy worker
but for a few moments
I had a glimpse
of what it might mean
to have a real relationship
with an animal…
© Andrew Wilson, 2024
Over at dVerse Poets Pub, dorahak in Poetics, invites us to write about horses…