On the tender skin of my left
shoulder I feel them,
the tenacious
line of horses,
held tight to the ridge, of
politeness and worry,
…just listen…
I remind myself, pulling back on
the reins.
But I smile, knowing I am
equally
That lead
horse,
full
chested and longing,
the surprising
strength of his will
tramples shivers down my spine,
begging to call
out, high headed
in a full throated
neigh.
But the whinny is tugged
back, Wait!
…don’t rise above the bit…
in a cautious moment, I horse
snort curiosity,
pleading for an
opening, a breakaway chance, a pulse to lead the pack,
…don’t be too much…
Forced into tentative, regulated, movements,
a single
extended leg investigating open prairie:
A) First from
the shoulder, the confident connective tissue, eagerly pressing but wary of
resistance.
“…maybe we could…”
B) The patella,
the back knee, smoothly testing, leans back, yet pushes the issue forward.
“…and then, maybe you could…”
C) The forward
knee, relying heavily on the cannon, suggesting a point of mutual assurance.
“…and then I could…”
D) The pasterns,
articulating, calling for consensus in the hoof, the grounded coffin.
“So then,
that will be it. We’re set.”
The lead horse and the rider
look back and beam with exhilaration,
seeing the strides they’ve
made slowly, working towards full gallop.
…okay then… They take a synchronized congratulatory breath …next issue?
But again, the
line breaks, one forward, one back, one sidetracked.
Blowing, and snorting and
squealing as herds do. A circus of the enthusiastic
and animated, too little sleep and too much inborn anxiety, so jokes are told
and stories shared, arguments posed, disclosure dared
…and of course met with the occasional
pin dropped awkward silence,
large eyes
reading the alerted bristles, judging gestures,
each of us an
animal, pregnant with fretful anticipation,
cast aside with a smile,
another insight,
the volume raised, as our steps proceed, communal cascade in a new
direction.
I feel the wary tightness
return,
witnessing a
stampede given purpose,
force a breath into my chest,
and remind myself to
…marvel in this moment…