HOW OFTEN I DREAM


I.

Home
but dreaming of horses
and riding
Sunny the grumpy palomino
Mr. T and Bootjack both spooked unlucky bays
Dream Catcher the goofy App mare
all gone now
eight hours in the saddle and open country
stiff old chaps friendly
rain shaped hat
good weather, bad
doesn't matter the old cowboy says
nothing you can do but enjoy it
the squeak of smooth saddle like an old chair
smell of leather sweet hay and horses
how quiet I was then
alone
and not much talk from the animals
only on Christmas eve
Mo used to say before she died

except for the ranch owners
best job I ever had

found my snaffle and bridle
green in a bag on a shelf
my old saddle
somewhere
lost

how often I dream
of horses