A hundred and ten degrees
in an empty pen
where we watched him
stumble to his feet,
where we forget
twenty years of trying—
that a man was king
with all he needed
to get the job done.
Time swallows memory
like a snake
chokes a meal down
to the present tense—
outliving horses
before we fade
from this landscape.
We can ask too much,
plead for compassion
from invisible gods,
compensation for
the heroic hearts
we have held
within our fingers,
within our family.
for Red Hot Montana
drycrikjournal 
The dead live forever in our hearts . . .
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Worthy of all kind words.
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I know the feeling, John – such emptiness! And you will hold him in your heart forever. He was the best of helpmeets as well as a good friend. They are part of you – part of your family.
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Good poem – I lost my little red mule – have no idea how old she was –
they become part of your family.
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Still catching up….I save all your posts….this is beautiful….I lost my buckskin when he was 25 too……big hole in my heart….
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