A Horse

A horse fell in the street today

Upon the pavements cold and gray;

Collapsed before a heavy load,

A lifeless heap upon the road.

He tried in vain to make the grade,

He pulled and tugged and strained and swayed;

One look of sorrow in his eye,

He yielded up the task – to die.

Collected soon a motley band,

To lend advice but not a hand,

And some were moved to silent tears,

And some to coarser jests and jeers.

“‘Tis but a horse,” said one in glee,

“I’m glad ‘tis not a horse on me,”

And souls there were who failed to see

But humor in this tragedy.

My heart grew sad, I moved away, –

I owned a horse but yesterday,

A noble steed, as kind and true

As any soul ‘neath heaven’s blue.

Where might my pet be now? I say,

My grief too keen I walked away,

And left the hero on the road,

A lifeless heap before the load.

Ah, friend, that horse one day had known

The kindest seeds that e’er were sown;

Had felt the pat of childish hands,

Had grazed upon the fairest lands.

Jeer not at some old rack-a-bones

Who’s pulling loads over cobblestones;

And give a worthy thought, I pray,

When he falls dead upon the way.

Dec. 28, ‘07