Round Up, by David Edward Kucera
From the Saddle
by Paulette Demers Turco
silhouetted by idyllic misty Rockies
All backlit by a late-June sun,
these four mares walk in unison
–palomino, chestnut, bay–
headed home for oats and hay.
Their pace is slow, their progress steady.
All heads hang low. It may seem petty
to urge them on, not let them gnaw
on sun-warmed blades, though dry as straw.
The rancher leans in, reins held taut,
guiding his light gray mount, alert,
to set the stride across the sands,
responding to the stern commands,
a deep-toned “wa-alk” or “click” allays
the urge to pause, draws gentle neighs–
all to avoid a stark attack
and venom of a diamondback.
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