No Longer Free
Oh, noble beast, you stand before me muscles quivering in fright
wanting nothing more than to flee. Unable to break or jump the
bars, you blow steam from flaring nostrils and paw the ground.
Once you ran free as the wind racing with it through canyons and
climbing high up the steep slopes you rear in pure joy at the top.
Little do you know you have captured a heart, the heart of a man
who desires to own you. That soon he will trap you and enslave you.
Soon you will be ripped from your herd forced to leave your mares
and foals unprotected. No longer free to roam the wild ranges.
Run down until your flanks heaved with exhaustion and the sweat
soaked your skin. Lassoed and dragged to this corral. Now you swing
your hip in warning for none to approach you. The man sits himself
down and quietly waits until curiosity finally wins and cautiously you
draw closer and snuffle his scent snorting as hastily you back away.
Several days pass now you take food from his hand and allow his touch.
Yet still you gaze far off to the valleys and I can see your longing to
be there free again. I take your side against my man pleading with him
that it would be wrong to enslave this fiery spirit of yours. His place is
not here see how he pines for freedom and his herd. Reluctantly her
man agreed and swung wide open the corral gate startled the horse
stared out then bucking he flew out to freedom yet shortly he returned
and put his head on the man's neck as if to say thanks.
He returned to his herd and fought off an intruder who had moved in.
Now you might think this the end of the tale but oh no it is not.
That winter was very harsh new foals found it hard to cope and often
perished. The stallion remembered the man and drove his favourite mare
to his place placing her in his care only just in time as she foaled that
night in the worst blizzard in living memory. The stallion returned to the rest
of his herd and brought them too down near the homestead and so a lasting
friendship was formed with both enjoying their freedom and yet also sharing
with each other.
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