The Ride

Holding on close as the sky meets the ground
And green and blue haze together in
An aquamarine frenzy of confused
Emotions of exhilaration and fear
Welded together in a tight form
Fitting seam-- she dare not utter a sound.

Clip-clop goes the sound in her ear,
Heard almost in a vacuum as the
Pace quickens and raw fear gives
Way to excited fascination-
A strange curiosity found only
In small children and kittens.
Whoop goes the sound and
She startles herself with that
Stated admission of newfound
Joy.

So much like a kitten she seems now,
Ears flat against the humid wind
As her sweated brow becomes
Wind-blown and dry with each
Course of increased acceleration.
From all around the animal aroma
Of sweat and leather assault her
Senses and she can somehow feel a
Oneness with the undulating creature
Below her and the determined rider
She desperately clings too for life.

Fantasy now takes over as reality
Melts away and she is a fairy
Princess being whisked along
Ancient highways to uncharted territories
And, all at once, an Indian maiden being
Kidnapped by the light of the moon.
A thousand fantasies in a thousand
Seconds leech from her young mind
Which fuels her flight of fancy.

As the world focuses reality once more
Into her small, almost porcelain-like
Ringlet topped head; the trip trop
Bouncing begins once again that
Frightened her so only a while ago.
But not so now, now she is a brave little girl,
As she sees her adopted parents through
The still humid southern haze of summer, and
She thinks to herself, “ yes, I am a brave girl”.