Rider's Concern

He bent to kiss me and the
women gathered in pheasant's hedges
at the water well
sing birdsong hymnals
in throats damned goldened by
honey's hot warm glaze
in rolling birdsong sang

so the canyon walls wept
so the river that cut it at
its heart
ran no more

he reached beneath me
to startle me
with a trebuchet's arc swing me
calling me fancy
cast me as first mate aboard his Ark
the nag's reproach held
and my cry was lost on the last of
winter's vagrant breath

who sent you,
I asked
dodging pine boughs crowned
in green splash
rhythm at the bequest of
another heart's beat
among the frozen stone
and the black shadow deep

you did,
he said
reaching to hold me at my scruff
like a fresh wet pup
silver wrings wrapped fair tendons
he smiled
we bounced along on some invisible path
where passed echoes of
other lives
of chances taken
on some never took

and where is it we ride,
I asked
beneath his great grip

I'm taking you
to meet him,
he said.

TA