He befriended just one, a boy in danger
And placed his trust to the heart of this stranger
The perilous journey brought them to shore
Survivors of a shipwreck entwined once more
The black moved cautiously allowing the boy
To stroke his mane as if shy or coy
But the stallion once wild beyond good reason
Had been hurt before in another season
It was a time he could easily recall
His head shot up remembering that fall
He pawed at the ground warning the stranger
How could the boy understand his anger?
From this giant black in frustration and fear
Challenging any who dared to come near
He threw up his back as if tossing a saddle
Demonstrating his power, keen and agile
No one would break his spirit or force
Their will or claim to set his course
He was set free to run with great speed
Freed by the boy respecting his need
Tearing across the sands with exceeding gait
He defied any who would determine his fate
The expanse of land would become his home
He’d rear up to all wherever he roamed
But he came back to the boy on shore,
And tried to forget what happened before
Here was the one whom he’d given his heart
Winning his trust for an impeding new start
________________
Joyce E. Johnson (2015)
Footnotes: I love horses and growing up as a child there were some favorite Children’s classics I loved reading, and watching on TV when they were made into a movie. One of those was, The Black Stallion, about a young boy, Alec that befriends a beautiful black Arabian horse after they alone survive a shipwreck, and find their way to shore after a perilous journey at sea. After finally bonding they become inseparable, and eventually the stallion is trained as a racehorse by another friend and trainer who teaches Alec how to ride and race his horse like a pro. The above poem is one I wrote many years ago, but revised recently to post here with this photo taken from the internet advertisement of the movie. You can find more information on The Black Stallion here.
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