Sister's Precious Miracle
A grulla buckskin brood mare,
we knew something was funny
when Beau the buckskin stallion stood
against the corral fence
in the furthest corner
his head leaning
over the top railing.
The student's had massaged her
during the last several classes.
"Dehydration," Katarina said.
Sister's skin was wrinkly and puffy
we had given her electrolytes orally
to stimulate her to drink
her hard dry bag had begun
to fill with milk.
She was able to walk
slowly without strong urging
the Vet said, "let her nurse
her tests are negative."
He dismissed allowing Brooks
a surrogate milking mare
from nursing her expected foal.
Sister allowed me to hold her head
tight against my chest
over her lifeless cremello foal,
she released long loud sighs
I gently caressed her masseter
there was nothing I could do.
The brood mare and their foals
lined the sides of the narrow ranch lane
their chests pressed tight against the white
paddock rails watching silently
as the diesel tractor drove past.
Sister and Beau walked slowly behind
stood quietly while the foal was buried
walked slowly around the grave
and returned to their open corral.
The Cowboy and the Vet had taken
the blood sample from Sister's twin.
Sister had eaten fescue grass
it caused a long gestation period
and the problems with her milk
it had poisoned her foal.
This fall Sister stood dignified,
head held high
next to her filly miracle "Precious,"
proudly presenting her to me
she relaxed while receiving her massage.
The little filly nibbled
at the student's blue shirt sleeve
her hand trembled effleuraging
the mare's neck,
a tear dripped off her cheek
on to the dry corral floor.
Horse Hair Poetry
I wish for my poems
to be like horse hairs
that catch into your clothing,
saddle blankets and brushes
that cling and weave
into the fabric of your life.
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