White Horse Named Sparkle

White Horse Named Sparkle
© Surazeus
2023 09 27

After working in car factory all day 
bolting seats and doors on assembly line, 
Brian washes sore hands with lemon soap, 
zips up leather jacket and pulls on gloves, 
then walks shortcut across abandoned field 
by stony river behind barbed wire fence. 

While pushing through tangled branches of trees 
that twist from rotten weeds in swampy muck, 
slicked by polluting chemicals from pipes 
spewing waste water from large factories, 
Brian feels his head buzz with dizziness 
as he trudges into foul-smelling smog. 

Uncanny sense of disorientating fear 
thrills his heart with shock of anxious hope 
when Brian steps from gloom of foggy woods 
into misty mountain meadow that shines 
with vibrant blush of flowers that bloom tall 
around silver lake fed by sparkling stream. 

Gleaming white as full moon in misty sky, 
strange creature moves toward him with eager stealth, 
and Brian gasps when beautiful white horse 
emerges into silver timeless glow, 
large eyes gazing from her long slender face 
half-veiled by silk mane gleaming white as snow. 

Amazed at ethereal beauty and grace 
embodied by elegant pure white horse, 
Brian fetches ripe apple from coat pocket 
and presents sweet gift with extended hand, 
then smiles and caresses her silky mane 
as she consumes free treasure of his heart. 

"My name is Sparkle," the white horse explains, 
and I am glad to meet Son of the Raven 
in Rainbow Valley where the river sings." 
Astonished when he hears the creature speak, 
Brian closes his eyes and takes deep breath, 
then opens wide to see if she is real. 

"How many times in weird shadowy dreams 
of restless angst, after working all day 
assembling machines that replaced the horse, 
have I seen you with flowing snow-white mane 
galloping fast as wind along wild rivers, 
heart beating with fierce passion of the sea." 

Slipping on back of elegant white horse, 
then pressing knees against her buxom sides, 
Brian smiles and requests, "I wonder if 
you would give me grand tour of your demesne, 
for I would love to see world of your heart 
that blossoms with fruit trees of every kind." 

Rearing on hind legs by the sparkling lake, 
white horse named Sparkle leaps on wings of light 
and gallops fast as wind along bright river, 
swiftly gliding on lithe exploring legs 
among tall trees that gleam on misty hills, 
hoofs and mane sparkling in mountain sunlight. 

Waking at dawn in his tattered blue tent, 
he pitched in trash-littered woods by the river 
after losing his house in the recession, 
Brian washes his face, eats scrambled eggs, 
then walks back to the factory at dawn, 
but pauses to gaze at the field with longing.