Peaceable Kingdom
1
We went to the town fair
For the first time in our lives
To watch the work horses and
The work horses were there,
Somehow they never disappoint you
Led out from trailers in wraps
Of leather harness, some gilded
And special for the day —
The horses could teach anyone how
To stand, how to wait
Their heads turned the other way
From a stone sled loaded by six
Men and one more on a tractor
Who are having a difficult
Enough time managing each
Block weight onto the sled,
One after the other until
What is expected to pull
Gains to 3500 pounds and
Later double that
Three-man teams talked
Amongst themselves soon
Showing they had trouble
Of their own making
A horse pair obey —
Names Frank, Chris, Josey
Revealed an intimacy from
These tough men with bloody
Elbows dragged by reins
Along the stone sled down
A twelve foot course hollering
Hold up there! and watching
Their feet and legs aren’t
Crushed by this plowing
Entertainment drive
How does a trophy and
One hundred fifty dollars
Grab you — awarded to the
Winner — the horse teams
Feel none of this, it is
Another day blinking
Flies and hasty sun,
Horse paired up to
Horse because they
Work best together
The least we could do
Would be to hope a little
More grain and hay came
Pitched down for them
That night, a rightful
Pat on the hind quarters,
And any of us can walk
Over to where horses
Huddle and with
No celebration or
Much of a sound,
Wait until one
Lifts his head and
Large eyes brighten
Manure
Has a way
When you’re not sure
Of having you place
That finger to your nose
Makes No Difference
Work horses
Stand in the rain
The sun, more rain
Bright leaves and snow
2
At the fair
This cow who
Knows this farmer
Won’t go easily
To the strange
Water tub tugged
By rope and hind
Legs holding back
The pinkest nostrils
Breathing ahead of
All its body along
A porcelain edge and
Always how massive
But somehow terrified
The great animal
3
Head down grazing
Goose thumps into
Fence post
4
Out in the open midway
Of flea market sellers
Unwrapping their tables
Look to the sky
Wondering with a
Neighbor hawker if it
Will rain — and who
Knows, none of us —
But one old-timer
Under a canopy
Slowly unpacking his
Nest of goods took no
Mind to the rain that
Seemed to be falling
All of a sudden as he
Stepped out of the
Tent and dusted off
His hat announcing
To no one it was
Only fizzling
(to be continued next week)
______________
Bob Arnold
Yokel
Longhouse
2011
