Dark Rider on a Butch Horse

A lake, two girls, the night time, the sky.

some fish, much splashing, lots of laughs, one good cry.

A bicycle, a flashlight, singing and then,

a Dark Rider on a Butch Horse came trotting in.

The girls they fell silent, the fish wouldn't splash,

the bikeman's light went dark, hope he didn't crash.

For the Rider on the Butch horse came out on the dock,

and the look of his face made everything stop.

He seemed quite distracted, off in other place,

but deep sense of longing painted clear on his face.

The horse was a light one, white and cleaned off,

but it's rider a dark one, like a strong smelling quaff.

Still, he'd not been drinking on this starry night,

nor was he ailing to open a fight.

He stared deep the waters, for to see the cure,

yes, his heart was quite broken, after love had been pure.

And the girls, they both new it, as the man on the bike,

and the fish, and the dock, and the lake and star light.

They cried out, Please no further, for you'll surely drown,

but the man on the horse seemed to notice no sound.

The dock started cracking, the two girls moved fast,

as the rider dismounted and kept walking past.

He stared all the harder, at a watery star,

and on the edge of his breath came the words, So...so far.

When to his surprise, the man on the bike

knocked the cowboy right backwards, then turned on that bike light.

He said, Buddy, I've been there. I've seen what you've seen,

now you've got to keep going, not remain in this scene.

You and I, we're both travelers, though we take different ways,

and the love in your heart, it is true, always stays.

But there's more to see out there, along the bike trails and paths,

and the horse trails, so get going, but don't go too fast!

For along all the seaways and byways and sides,

there will be another, kind hearted, who rides.

 And when you meet up, she'll start going your way,

then, friend and traveler, look back on this day.

Despair and darkness will soon have you stuck,

but if you get up, and get riding, you will soon find some luck.

You've been taught a great lesson, and it won't be the last,

but you've got to get where you're getting, not stay stuck in what's past.

So the rider, stunned yet thankful, took back to the shore,

then our biker to a path he'd not ridden before.

And the girls ate chinese food, and shared with the fish,

because fish like chinese food. It's a good tasty dish.

Rain Dance Maggie

Dani California

Can't get enough of em. 

What Has it Ever Meant?

Can't even write about it kiddies. Once upon a time there was a kitten. It was black and cute and fuzzy, and could have been terribly fun to play with, except it was mean and mangy and diseased  so no one wanted it. Even the people who would have taken it to the vet so it could feel all better, wouldn't take it home because it would only hiss and scratch and bite. 

One day a child came by who was very patient and very kind. The child loved all animals. It had pity for the kitten. So the child came every day to see the kitten, and care for it. It hissed at the child, but the child came back. It scratched the child, but the child came back. It bit the child, but the child came back. The kitten was getting sicker and sicker, and the child knew it needed to see a vet, or it would die. So the child brought it home.

Seeing how wild and mean it could be, the child's parent did not trust the kitten. They were afraid it would bite the child, not knowing that it already had. So against the objections of the child, who wanted to keep the kitten and care for it, the parents put the kitten in a carrier and took it to a shelter.

In the office of the shelter a man came to take the kitten to the back. While the parents finished the paperwork loud noises came from the back as the man unsuccessfully tried to remove the kitten, who was growing rather larger, from the carrier. The child knew this was the problem, and went back to help. The kitten would hiss and scratch and bite and the man could not get it to move. He even tried shaking the carrier around, but the kitten wouldn't leave it. "Don't touch it", said the man, who wore a pair of thick leather gloves. But the child simply walked up to the carrier and gently picked up the kitten. The child quietly pet and comforted the kitten, who did not bite, or scratch, or hiss. The man and the child's parents made the child put the kitten a pen and leave it. Too late to change, too late to save the kitten.

The child learned that the only reason it was too late for the kitten,  was because the parents and the man thought it was too late. So the child decided that it would not give up on anyone, because it never wanted it to be too late.

Return to Sender

No reply today. But I heard this great song, Perfect Now, by Sarah Blasko. I wouldn't freeze time, because as good as things have been, there is only more to come. I wish there had been a bit more snow, but I look forward to the spring thunderstorms, I don't mind the birds being back so early, and though I don't know all that it will bring, summer is always an adventure.

Roots

We all come from somewhere, the products of our families, friends, choices and experiences.

 I was thinking about my dog today. He stayed with me through most of high school. I named the poor little fellow after a dog from a movie. My brothers and sisters wanted to keep Peach, the one that looked like she had some golden retriever in her. But as I was the youngest my parents let me choose, and I've always favored the underdogs. 

He was so good. His walk reminded me of a choochoo train and he was so patient and fun. He followed us around, and joined in on adventures. He was good herding chickens, and hunting gophers, and raising kittens. They would curl up right next to him like he was their own mother. He was so timid. I watched a newly captured wild kitten scratch him right on the nose once, and he just took a couple steps back. But no big dog or person who was under suspicion was big enough to make him back down.

 Once, after a good solid white washing from my brothers he came up and licked the tears off my face till it tickled so much I stopped crying and just laughed. 

He just popped in my head today. One more wonderful thing in life to be grateful for.

Gentlemen

They say a few good men are hard to find. But I'm known for being exceptionally lucky. And it seems the legends must be true, because I found a fair few. 

If there is one thing I'm not looking forward to about leaving, its this.

Lets do one more of these before I go. 

Jonah's Prayer

 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.  The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.  When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.  They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

This became one of my favorite passages a few years back. Prayers from the belly of the whale, or well, and the pit of despair. 

For a Friend

Three seemed appropriate. 

darden road asks, have the stars all left your eyes?

Lack. 

I saw this sunrise the other day. It happens, and wasn't really happenstance, that I happened to be driving down a back road. The kind that's paved, but only just. The farms were nestled in between the hills, and the fields were all layered in snow. Light has a special way of moving at morning. A bluish caressing that lights upon the surface and seems to sink in for a moment before evaporating into clouds, and leaves it with a softening glow that waits and lingers, just to make sure you caught it. 

As one saying, blessing I will bless thee. Go on. 

An hour before, there was naught but the dark, and it was the heavy kind, that weighs your lids and your heart down. I could barely sustain. But then such a curious thing came Glowing brightly in the east. It was small, single and slender. But it came as a promise and sign. Night does not last. 

Soldier on, soldier. All the stars are shining on you, hope is coming and you will make it through.

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