Boats, trucks, floats.
Cars, bikes, 4 wheelers.
Fumes, engines, brakes.
Power.
Yes, human power.
I’ve been transported
Along with my horse friends.
We left old Mona in the ground back home.
We left Lofty with new friends
Up the road on red soil.
Human power made us leave.
Human power moved us.
Human power is still around us.
I’m trying to find my way back into a rhythm.
It was easier on the red soil
With large mammals all 'round.
I could rely on others.
We fitted together into
This odd-shaped jigsaw we liked.
Oompy, Cess and me are down the road.
A stressful truck trip south.
Human power loaded us.
In the earliest of hours
We had a collision.
A ‘roo took out the small truck.
Creeping into town.
We clung like limpets out in the open.
Raw, exposed, unknown.
Then more bouncing and erratic travels
As we powered our way south again.
The ramp was thrown down by head-of-steam human power.
My eyes rested
Outer corners falling.
Here was my human.
She is here……..
With us………
Oompy had to run off the truck
His bad leg catching
As agitated human power made decisions for him.
Cess was a lather of sweat.
She decided to power herself out
Landing beside us.
Our human was here.
Waiting for us.
Waiting.
Just here.
And that was enough.
Weeks on, human power
Chased sheep on bikes
Men yelling at wayward dogs
Rev. Revv. Revvv. Revvv.
Revvvv.
Gr. Grr. Grrr. Grrrr. Grrrrr.
Go. Go.. Go. Go. Go.
Memories of clashing metal gates, split families
Gushing breath, slippery feet
Busted heart strings.
Trapping.
Hunting.
Chasing.
Swerving.
We were caught in the Snowys.
Caught in human power.
And my memory fell out, here
At this new place I do not care for.
Leaving the herd.
I could not stay.
A tattered edge.
That was me.
Too raw for my herd.
Too raw for me.
It started to eek out.
The layers of human power.
Trapped inside.
My human watched me for a couple of weeks.
From the edges.
As did I.
I could feel her heaviness
And of me.
We were waiting.
Waiting.
Not knowing.
She leaned back on the shovel
This time, feeling out wide.
As time began to stretch.
I took my step.
She noticed my rhythmic licking.
That big pink salt lick
That I enjoy exploring with the contours of my tongue.
I could sense no power.
No human power in her.
No human power around me.
Leaning back on the shovel she cast an eye my way.
We both waited as I savoured salty particles.
I swung my head around.
Away. Over there. Can’t you see?
I’m urgent.
Stuff is falling out.
Memory shards spilling around me.
Painful pieces.
She waited.
Leaning on that shovel.
Sun highlighting sweaty face.
Waiting.
She did notice, a little.
And together we curved our outlines
Back to the salty essence.
My rhythm unfolded, a little more.
Salt lick, waiting, urgent look away.
Her little notice.
Our curving back to what mattered.
Salt lick, waiting, urgent look away.
Her little notice.
Our curving back to what mattered.
Particles, flavour, stretch of time.
She noticed my cycle
Down-to-up-to-down.
She noticed my pattern.
Waiting, honouring
Before unravelling.
There’s no power here.
My body wriggled and I adjusted.
I began to feel deeper
Into another layer caught inside.
An urgent whinny
From a horse unknown.
Caught in its own place of hard knowing.
A gush came and my throat cleared.
Her shovel shifted.
We waited.
Some more.
I cheekily caught her eye
Giving me a smile.
We exchanged our gift.
I walked over to re-join my herd.
My human returned with her
Cup of tea and sat on the ground.
Near us.
Waiting for nothing much.
She watched as I announced my return,
Giving Oompy a push up from behind.
Curving away with dignity,
I allowed the big O to feel connected
And a bit alive.
Beside me,
Further down was Cess.
Walking parallel
Supporting my dignified push.
Beside her
Further down
Was her.
Our human.
Sitting with her cup of tea
Smiling at my return.