Pegasus

Here he lies:
the mentor of my dreams,
the listener to my weary woes
who knew me well from head to toes
who joined with cheer in all my schemes
and needed no good-byes.

No more will I ride him, safe and free
nor see him jump the fences high;
nor feel his hide, taut, under my palm.
I cannot cry, he taught me calm
and left me with a sigh
to find rest under his favorite tree.

No longer will I smell the sweetness of him,
no longer sense the thrill of touching
fleeting boughs;
nor stray to see the twilight on his back,
nor feed him extra oats in his gunny sack,
nor run him after unresisting cows,
nor let him follow all his heartly whims.

No more will the sunshine play hide and seek
on his shining coat of black
nor the sweat drops glisten bright
on his forehead star of white
nor his breath go in and back
though of him his stall will speak.

Will he have enough to eat, I wonder
where he's gone had better be warm
'cause he's left his Christmas blanket behind.
And I hope his stable boys are kind
enough to shield him from heavenly storms
‘cause I hear it's from up there
that raging storms to earth wander.

Life without him I can't fathom
though Mama says I'll get over
losses like these that death demands,
life of me my life commands.
And she says she'll get me Rover
but a dog would only be his phantom.

*****
His memory haunts me now and then
I've tried to teach my children, too
to love all creatures like their own
and not to fear the grave unknown
to cherish life and help the few
whose life depends on them.