Barbwire

We had started preparing dinner, but when I told her they were grazing out back, she wanted to go see them for herself. I folded the dishtowel and put dinner on hold. I suggested we take scraps Lettuce leaves, carrot tops, apple cores, …scraps from the counter The three horses were clustered under the trees, munching tall grass, not far from the house Only barbwire, the swing set, and their indifference between us We tossed pieces of lettuce over the fence, and called out their names At first they pretended not to notice us, but finally one pony swished his tail, and slowly, sidled closer My grandchild held out the apple, with a hesitant hand At first she was afraid, of losing a finger perhaps, or her quivering thumb But, I told her to flatten her palm, hold the apple like a gift The pony devoured the apple, and continued to nuzzle her hand Barbwire is no restraint…. And love has no constraints Sometimes amounting to nothing more than an open heart, and open hand and an apple core