Category
3 - Poets Age 19 & Up
Winner
PRDA Morning
By Mark Ardley, of Langley, BC
The ring stands still, serene, silent,
Sturdy and steadfast.
With matriarchic stature it shelters, comforts and envelops.
Its walls reflect the warmth and hope of morning sun,
Whose golden glow filters in through open doors.
The horse is gentle, graceful, gallant,
Winsome and wise.
With rhythmic hips, sure-footedness, and determination,
It walks the ring like an ancient sage,
Committed to its purpose and mindful of its charge.
The rider smiles, sitting straight, saddle straddled,
Courageous and confident.
With fingered reins and stirruped boots, rider blends with horse,
They walk as one, upright on equine legs,
With head and heart raised high above the volunteers.
The wheelchair waits, with cold indifference,
Empty and inanimate.
With callous confidence, it knows its passenger will return,
For this short hour, once a week, it sits still and silent,
While rider shares the power and the spirit of the horse.
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