Horse Named Star Dancer

Horse Named Star Dancer
© Surazeus
2024 11 21

Though it takes a hundred years of slow winds 
for the frail sorrowful barn to collapse 
under frantic weight of long-ignored fate, 
with unconcern of the slowly turned page, 
the old never-harvested apple tree 
grows from the last seed my grandmother spit. 

Still twenty years, lithe in short yellow dress, 
she leans against the newly painted barn, 
and peers past gold curls under white straw hat 
at timeless beauty of the normal sky 
composed of silver clouds over gold hills 
where sparrows flock between wind-blown larch groves. 

Aching with strange passion she cannot name, 
glorious with beauty of meaningful faith, 
she stares at clouds that never seem to change, 
though one resembles her favorite horse 
that died while pulling the dutiful plow, 
ghost of its loyalty over wheat fields. 

As tears for the horse, she secretly named 
Star Dancer, with his compassionate eyes,  
soak her cheeks with silly display of affection, 
she chooses to sing her favorite hymn 
about walking with Jesus in the garden, 
and pretends to pet the horse she adored. 

Spotting cloud of dust swirling from the road, 
she squints till her eyes discern without doubt 
quick black horseless carriage she heard about 
rumbling swiftly toward wood gate of her farm 
like demon Morax escaping from Hell, 
so she grabs her round willow-woven charm. 

Startled to see the horseless carriage zoom 
so swiftly toward her newly painted barn, 
Lois hides in haven of sturdy walls, 
peering between slats as the carriage stops, 
and gasps to see tall man in strange new suit 
step out with thin fedora-shadowed face. 

Grasping shovel with trembling hands of fear, 
she steels her heart to whack head of the thief, 
but shrieks and drops it when her cousin Archie 
steps forth in gleaming halo of the sun, 
then she laughs at his city-slicker suit, 
but coos at beauty of the car he bought. 

Holding dashboard tight with both trembling hands, 
Lois shrieks with banshee-joyful delight 
as he drives black Ford so fast down the road 
that trees and hills swirl into spiral blur, 
zooming time machine to town in ten minutes, 
so she spreads angel wings and soars to Heaven.