Spanish Horses: Florida

There are Spanish horses in Florida
Left by a thousand bearded Spaniards,
Left to feed and breed at ease
Among the short grasses of Florida.

On this March afternoon
Foals and mares play at horse family:
Foal bucking its head into the mare’s udder,
Hurting her to yield her sacred milk.
Mare stands there, loving her foal,
Great head turning to question the pain.

In the distance are others:
Twenty mares and five foals
Overseen and managed by a roan stallion
Whose fierce eyes hold in their depths
Other stallions rearing upon these short grasses
In those days of Spanish glory.
Purple saddle-blanket flecking blood,
Red satin cinch gripping underbelly,
Bearded rider’s silver sword in its silver scabbard,
Rider’s arm raised in the same gesture of failed command
Made by brave and dying Spaniards
In Arabia and Grenada.

____________

James Bolner, Sr.
Baton Rouge, March 29, 2002