I sprang to the stirrup, and Jorris, and he;
I galloped, Dirk galloped, we galloped all three;
"Good speed!" cried the watch, as the gatebolts undrew;
"Speed!" echoed the wall to us galloping through;
Behind shut the postern, the light sank to rest,
And into the midnight we galloped abreast.
Not a word to each other, we kept the great pace;
Neck by neck, stride by stride, never changing our place;
I turned in my saddle and made the girth tight,
Then shortened each stirrup and made the pique right;
Rebuckled the cheek strap, chained slacker the bit,
Nor galloped less steadily than Roland a whit.
'Twas moonset at starting, but as we drew near
Lokeren, the cockscrew and twilight dawned clear;
At Boom, a great yellowstar came out to see,
At Duffeld, 'twas morning as plain as could be;
And from Mecheln churchsteeple we heard the half-chime,
So Jorris broke silence with, "Yet there is time!"
At Aershot, up leapt of a sudden the sun,
And against him the cattle stood black every one;
To stare through the mist at us galloping past,
And I saw my stout galloped Roland at last,
With resolute shoulders, each butting away,
The haze, as some bluff river headland it's spray.
And his head low and crest, just one sharp ear bent back,
For my voice, and the other pricked out on his track;
And one eye's black intelligence - ever that glance,
O'er its own white edge at me, his master, askance;
And the thick heavy spume - flakes which eye and anon,
His fierce lips shook upwards and galloping on.
By Hassalt, Dirk groaned, and cried Jorris, "Stay spur!
Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault's not in her,
We'll remember at Aix," - for one heard the quick wheeze,
Of her chest, saw the stretched neck and staggering knees,
And sunk tail, and horrible heave of the flankm
And down on her haunches she shuddered and sank.
So we were left galloping, Jorris and I,
Past Looze and past Tongres, no cloud in the sky;
The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh,
'Neath our feet broke the brittle bright stubble like chaff,
Till over by Dalhema dome-spire sprang white,
And "Gallop," gasped Jorris, "for Aix is in sight!"
"How they'll greet us!" - and all in a moment his roan,
Rolled neck and croup over, lay dead as a stone;
And there was my Roland to bear the whole weight,
Of the news which alone could save Aix from her fate,
With his nostrils like pits full of blood to the brim,
And with circles of red for his eye sockets rim.
Then I cast loose my buffcoat, each holster let fall,
Shook off both my jackboots, let go belt and all,
Stood up in the stirrup, leaned, patted his ear,
Call my Roland his pet name, my horse without peer;
Clapped my hands, laughed and sang, any noise, bad or good;
Till at length into Aix Roland galloped and stood.
And all I remember - friends flocking around,
As I sat with his head 'twixt my knees on the ground;
And no voice was but praising this Roland of mine,
As I poured down his throat out last measure of wine,
Which (the burgesses voted by common consent)
Was no more than his due who brought good news from Ghent.
The Horses
by Edwin Muir (1887-1959) ..an excerpt
And then, that evening
Late in the summer the strange horses came.
We heard a distant tapping on the road,
A deepening drumming; it stopped, went on again
And at the corner changed to hollow thunder.
We saw the heads
Like a wild wave charging and were afraid.
We had sold our horses in our father's time
To buy new tractors. Now they were strange to us
As fabulous steeds set on an ancient shield
Or illustrations in a book of knights.
We did not dare go near them. Yet they waited,
Stubborn and shy, as if they had been sent
By an old command to find our whereabouts
And that long-lost archaic companionship.
In the first moment we had never a thought
That they were creatures to be owned and used.
Among them were some half-a dozen colts
Dropped in some wilderness of the broken world,
Yet new as if they had come from their own Eden.
Since then they have pulled our ploughs and borne our loads,
But that free servitude still can pierce our hearts.
Our life is changed; their coming our beginning.
My horse be swift in flight.
Even like a bird;
My horse be swift in flight.
Bear me now in safety.
Far from the enemy arrows,
And you shall be rewarded
With streamers and ribbons of red.
~Sioux warrior's song to his horse
Talking to Horses
You know I talk to horses,
As peculiar as that be,
The more I talk to horses,
The more they talk to me.
Now I was minding my own business,
While at the barn that day,
But this horse out in the pasture,
Had something big to say.
The field was pretty muddy,
So she slid into a stop.
She said her name was Sundance,
And she wondered what was up.
She said she'd soon be leaving
To some place she'd never been.
She wondered if I'd ask around,
To see just where and when
"There's a horse already in my stall,
I eat my meals out here."
"Sure I'll ask around," I told her,
"And I'll tell you what I hear."
Well, the vet says she's got navicular,
And it'll just get worse.
Sundance's days are over.
They say "no feet no horse."
It'll cost about three hundred
Just to have that horse put down.
But she'll bring about five hundred
At the auction out of town.
The trainer says, "She's outta here,
I just do what I am told.
I just load 'em and I haul 'em
Far as I'm concerned she's sold."
Then Sundance started calling.
In her voice I heard her fears.
I couldn't bear to listen,
So I covered up my ears.
I reached deep in my pockets,
And I counted all I had.
But you just can't buy compassion,
That's what makes it all so sad.
I knew I'd have to tell her,
So I walked up to the fence.
Her eyes were wide and helpless,
Her muscles all were tense.
"Where you're goin', Sundance,
Riders cue with just a thought.
The horses all enjoy their work,
And like the way they're taught.
There's always buckets full of treats,
And the grass is ever green.
The bedding's thick and fluffy,
And the stalls are fresh and clean.
The stall doors all are open,
And the cross ties all are free.
You'll come and go just as you please
And be where you want to be."
And then I just got angry.
Oh, God, it isn't right!
I swung around with fisted hands,
But there was no one there to fight.
I can't believe they'd sell you,
For a few cents on the pound.
I promise that blood money
Will curse the place it's found!
And if there is some justice,
And what we give comes back,
That which we have taken
We'll soon find that we lack.
Yes, I'll tell them what you told me,
'Bout the way you'd rather go,
In a place where you feel comfort,
Among the ones you know.
No, there's no one here to see you off.
You'll have to settle for me.
They send you their apologies,
There's somewhere else they had to be.
I'm glad I met you, Sundance,
I'll tell them about our talk.
We're not as strong as we pretend.
Come on, let's take a walk.
You know it's just not easy,
To bear this heavy load,
To lead you down the painless path,
Not to send you down the road.
So I hope to see you Sundance,
When I cross over too.
I hope my journey's easier,
Than it will be for you.
I had a friend who told me once,
(And I believe it's true),
That God appointed angels
To watch over ponies like you
So, Sundance, you load easy, girl,
Now don't you kick or rear.
I'll load that angel by your side,
She'll help to calm your fear.
You know, I talk to horses,
As peculiar as that be,
The more I talk to horses,
The more they talk to me.