OUT OF THE BLUE
 

The horses that carry me along   have brought me this far
as my desire reaches towards the sun   a skywriting plane comes flying
out of the blue   a script of clouds   an evanescent hand
holding an old Gypsy card of fortune   through a rip in the roof
of the tent   oracles from the vast eternity    come flying

For my horses   flutes and drums have always urged them
over wastelands   they've carried my baggage this far
full of prayer beads and photographs   they've carried me to the brink
of all that's yet to be   bowed heads in a circle of sawdust
heavy with blankets of roses   as my desire reaches towards the sun
their hearts are wide open   but their wings are slack and yellow with age
any moment   ancestral music will come and call their bodies away

As I watch them turn out to pasture   a fresh mount is needed
to lift me up above this circus   above the tiers of somnambulists
above the sermons of fire and gnashing teeth   above the dust
blown in the eyes of angels   on the midway   a million tours
of blind alleys   the bells that ring three times a day reminding me
of my restlessness   above the safety nets   above the halls of night
and the fleeing distractions    up to all that's yet to be

Bursting with the muscle and wind of Al Borak   Black Beauty
Pegasus   Marengo   Rosinante   Trigger   Traveller
Silver   Sea Biscuit   Seattle Slew  and Secretariat
an immaculate horse comes charging   out of the wings
out of the blue   a fresh steed comes  to lift me  up to the message
in the script of clouds  up to the old Gypsy card of fortune
as my desire reaches towards the sun   up to all that's yet to be

©2002 Janet Hamill