Battle Horse

As I plod along the boggy fields
Master on my back
The heavy armour on my chest
The mud upon my flanks
The smell of blood in the smokey air
Of man and beast entwined
The thrust of decay beneath my hooves
Tension in the skies
As cold April winds
Lash into my eyes
I keep myself in check
To heed the masters voice to me
And his command upon my neck
His spurs, they push into my flanks
As the enemy approaches
I twist and turn, rise and fall
As metal upon metal clashes
Fast I must hold, stumble not
As the master fights the battle
Heart beating hard, mouth dry as earth
Blood coursing down my chattles
Treading hard upon the ground
Regardless of the dead
Then the day is won,the bugle sounds
"Homeward men its over"
Wearily I trot beneath the sun
To green fields of grass and clover.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2011

Poem

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Andresen Avatar
January 4, 2012 at 7:18 AM
Lovely written to a best friend. OXOX love Anne-Lise
Wesley Avatar
September 21, 2011 at 7:01 PM
Carol, such inspiration flows from your pen. The horse is such a noble animal and you have given him honorin this lovely verse.
Smith Avatar
September 20, 2011 at 3:13 PM
One wonders what horses think in those battles. The only thing I would alter in your fine poem, line 19, reads: "...the master fights..." I would write something like "...the master and I fight..." Those horses put as much into it as did their masters. Love the poem.
Henderson Avatar
January 1, 2012 at 11:11 AM
In reply to this John,the horse must do the masters biding, he has no choice in the matter.
Lane Avatar
September 20, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Thank you for sharing this poem. Tony
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