Spring by Rogue

You never knew me,

And you never thought you would,

For the day we met,

We knew it wouldn't be a normal friendship;

You towered over me,

Your powerful eyes reflected the image,

Of nothing more than a simple man with fear,

As you took in a sharp breath of my scent...

And rendered me a sharp sneeze;

I was handed the reins and my hands shook,

Peering into glassy dark-brown eyes,

Yet I saw that you too were nervous,

And our discomfort was mutual;

If I brushed you, you stomped and moved away,

When I went to pet you, your head reared out of reach,

When I attempted to hold you still,

You fought my hand until you realized;

Though I be a short man, in your eyes I am a giant.

My strength was reserved for your correction,

My words of reprisal for your acts of defiance,

My rough hands on your body for your own presentation,

And the treats I brought were reserved for good behavior;

As time passed on we adjusted to one another,

You understood my authority not through violence,

But through my unchanging instruction and care,

And love, you came to tolerate my touch;

In cold winter you fell sick,

Your hooves cracked, painful with horrid thrush,

You weren't your haughty, upright self,

And I missed your brat-like ways;

You were in pain...and I felt for you,

You let me pet you without fight,

Stroke your mane without struggle,

Even let me hug you;

Together with my friend we nursed you,

Making more trips into the icy cold to visit,

Treating you more with luscious red apples,

Jokes, and conversation from me about life;

As you saw I didn't give up on you,

You decided to give me a chance as well,

And let this man care for you,

Even if he was the first, only man to ever do so;

We survived the harshest season, anew bloomed the Spring.

We came to visit that first day in March,

After my ten-mile walk to meet a friend,

Then you saw and greeted me warmly,

And I was stunned for such a welcome;

I rendered you a treat of two apples,

For I missed you too, and wished to see you again,

Happy, healthy, good ol' Rogue the Arabian,

The first horse I'd ever cared for in my entire life;

We gave you a lunge, a walk, a trot,

And your first bath in the Spring,

To wash away the heavy winter burden,

And rinse away your old winter coat;

You didn't pull or move as I cleaned you,

Much less did you fight as I brushed,

And once you were cleaned and anew,

You let me hug you again;

As Spring has begun, my new friend,

Work lies ahead for both of us,

For me to get you in shape for contest,

And for you to give me your best antics of affection;

And whenever I show up at the stables,

You stick your head out to greet me,

And I always remember how it began,

Those same thoughts are different now;

You never knew me,

And you never thought you would,

For the day we met,

We knew it wouldn't be a normal friendship.

--e love