Forever Rider
Bleached bones of a fallen beast,
Casting a shadow that points
To the east,
A cowboy rides out
With a noose round his neck,
Travelling north on a
Perilous trek.
The noose is a reminder
That his life is not his,
Not that he needs it
To tell him the truth,
He's atoning for sins
Committed by him
And the noose is just there
For some proof.
His horse pointing northwards,
His spurs jab its flanks,
It jumps on a journey
It knows not to where,
He has been advised
If he gets where he must
That he must handle all things
With great care.
Long weeks follow days,
He ne'er stops for food,
He feels neither hunger,
Nor thirst or fatigue,
His Horse is the same,
Feeling neither hunger or pain,
Though they travel on league
After league.
He stops on the brow
Of a mountainous peak,
To gain the bearings
He felt he had lost.
His eyes sweep the plains
He travels in vain,
Without ever revealing
The cost.
His life had been shortened
For the most part by death,
He had suffered
For what he had done,
His actions alone
Had been the sole cause
Of the loss of his wife
And his son.
And so for his torment
He had been given a task,
That he knew he must
Always repeat,
There was no respite
And no task to be done
And his journey would be
Never complete.
And so he rides on
O'er the endless red plain,
Destined as ever to
Be all alone,
And maybe one day
His skull will be seen
By another as abandoned
Bleached bone....
Copyright © Simon Henderson | Year Posted 2012
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