Much More Than 'Georgia On My Mind'

Much more than 'Georgia on my mind,' forever in my heart, 'Blue shadows on the trail' can not defeat The beauty of her day or days on any daunting steed Whose back she graced, wind in her mane as well, No fear that ever matched her pace While others held their breath at the sheer air she claimed. Oh, feel the pain of willing mount who stumbling let her down, Guilt free, but for the unseen blemish in her way. If stone or hole, who faults the rider or the horse? It could be risk enough adds up to certainty, Though horse and fair were tempered steel... But as I witnessed life with her, shared many joys And sorrows, more than I’d have guessed For more than most, we two were blessed, Now too I feel I share her death, the loss of breath, The impact of the news of her demise. I hope you will forgive the rawness of this verse, There’s little rhyme though rhythm hints of horse’s hooves, Perhaps the best that I can do in tribute to her character. Although no horseman, I have felt the pain of fall from horse, I rode full out with only a small bar ditch in my path Horse was all right but I had lost the reins and briefly hung From saddle horn, one foot in stirrup still. If not as high as horse’s back, I swear, it was a long way to the ground. Though flying through the air I felt no pain, I could not breathe once sliding stopped. And consciously I prayed for death's embrace As I lay motionless in tall Dakota grass. So even in her final act of horseless flight I feel a deep connection to her life. To love someone is not the same as knowing them And knowing them is not always to love, But Georgia had it all, six ways from Sunday blest. She met life on its ground but chose the time to fight, Her armor always laced with human love's excess, Head lifted up, she searched for highest ground, Backed into corner, still she chose her path. Who could not love, at least admire, a woman/child like this? Whenever Georgia fell, as fall all must, She purposed just to find her way to getting back on horse And failure never was a word she seemed to understand. Epilogue (Rhyme finally comes): Though Georgia's death is tragic loss, Wrap arms around this if you can, With me ask, "Death! Where is thy sting?" For loving her made me a man. A life that keeps on giving love, Is really what she leaves behind, And this just one more reason why, Forever, Georgia's on my mind! Brian Johnston Feb 29, 2016