I galloped hard across the dusty plain
My hand white blanched upon the bridle reins
Rowelled silver flashing red in meted pain,
I flailed the beast with all my might and main.
Sweat foam told me in time his strength would wane,
I knew that soon their fastest steeds would gain,
And then hot lead would fly like pelting rain
Terse thoughts tore through the turmoil in my brain.

A mile or more to reach a stand of trees,
Off to my right a cliff and angry seas
And to my left rode flankers, twos and threes
Their musket balls flew by like wrathful bees;
Shod hooves drowned out my desperate God aimed pleas,
The stallion growing weaker in the knees
There through hot foam his mighty breath fair seethes,
Dull spurs now give less pain to him than me.

Without a thought I pulled the roan far right
He stumbled but regained his footing quite,
The shining sea loomed closer in my sight
And so a resolution to my plight;
I yelled to stoke his last remaining fight,
Then fired my pistol at the pressing blight,
Clenched leather in my hands with all my might
And launched us o’er the edge … and into flight.

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.