Riding to the Gate

By Pamela C. Mehl

12-8-10

 I am their rider to the Gate

Where at the last moment my hand falls

To shield their terrified eyes and stroke their trembling necks,

As I murmur, go on now, I’ll soon follow.

And I wipe their faces with my tears,

Wipe their brows with firm, steady hands,

Give them my heart as I whisper, goodbye.

 

I am their rider to that last Gate

That opens onto green, green fields where I yet cannot go.

They have honored me with their trust

So with them, I will stand strong, this last duty,

Until they finally gallop through with a burst of courage

And I fall hard, to lie alone,

Crushed by the silence of their stilled hooves.