rocking horse dreams make the woman a girl again
in a half conscious time after rousing from sleep
companions through all the days since she was a child
wanting the grey with white spots a long golden fringe
and a faraway look in it’s eyes
she was only a rider every once in a very long while
but she rode him bareback and he took her away
their manes sailing parallel to the pastures
with nothing to stand in the way of a girl and her steed
just rocking and riding for miles
there’s no horse and no rider now and no place to tether
dreams long displaced by executive routines
that leave nowhere to turn to escape from every day reasons
for holding together in button-down sleeves and the suit
with a badge and false shine
come visit tonight to rock her away from here
before desperation leaves a hole in her mind
she needs one more long ride ahead of the summer breeze
with her mane parallel to the pasture
on the back of a grey-spotted rocking horse dream
© Frank Prem, 2000
17/01/18
This makes me a bit sad this poem. Those girlhood dreams and rides of the imagination snuffed out by adulthood and the “executive routines”.
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Very nostalgic, isn’t it.
From memory the reminiscence came up when the woman concerned saw a rocking horse in an antique shop.
One of those moments that get to us when we are unguarded.
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This reminds me of A Rocking Horse Winner, that made a big impression when I first read it. Always enjoy your writing.
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High praise. Thank you.
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