October 20, 1998

The Ride

Upon this stallion high I ride
And fast beneath the branches low
I duck and look in time to see
The creekbed full of summer rain

We leap into the air and fall
With grace upon the other side
And with a kick a hill we climb
Until it drops down towards the field

Now racing down the steep decline
I feel the blood pump through my veins
Which brings a smile to my face
And pleasure to an active mind

We reach the sudden forest edge
The sunlight takes me in its grasp
Across the meadow then we fly
A sea of yellow, white, and green

My mind now focused on ahead
For the fence we know we'll find
Now there it is, and just a leap
And then we leave it far behin

Now the barn it there approaches
Though I know approach it we
But either way before us stands
The wooden planks that keep this steed

As I dismout my mind recounts
The many rides of days long passed
This beast, my friend and confidant
Whose strength I've leaned on many times

After feed and gromming's done
I kiss and hug her 'fore I go
Then walk out to the light to find
The sun there nesting in the trees

And as I walk, I feel a breeze
That warms and cools me both at times
And once again, as I had known
My ride refueled my tired bones

You may ask just why I ride
But the answer simple be
I do it because when I ride
I am the best that I can be