one more horse for maggie andersen

one more horse for maggie andersen

there is a street sign declaring my driveway as blind,

and so is my girl, maggie.

she has never seen a color; basketball; picture of her mother

but she does see horses.

her dreams reveal what her fingers know,

the tension of hip muscle, fierce turn of eye,

thudding whisper of a gallop,

a thick black mane meandering a current.

and so her mother and father filled the backyard with a congregation

of horses, wild enough to scare my boldest confidence,

pure enough for admiration and timidity.

they stand in the rain, huddled, often grunting at the sky, maybe
they know the name of god,

dream thunder and lightning, much the same way
maggie dreams of proud backs unsaddled.

and so tomorrow, we're going to visit with Amos,

looking for a home after six adolescent years on ranch outside Casper.
maggie won't sleep tonight. won't even dream.

tonight, maggie will stare at the ceiling,
fingers caressing strong shoulders, wild eyes.

_________________________

Derek Richards:

After performing for years, as both a musician and poet, in and around the Boston area,

Derek Richards has recently decided to begin submitting his work for publication.

So far he has been accepted for publication in Ghoti Magazine, Lung, MediaVirus, Word Riot, Right Hand Pointing, Tinfoildresses, The Legendary, Breadcrumb Scabs, Shoots and Vines, Cantaraville, Soundzine, The Centrifugal Eye, Strong Verse, Underground Voices, River Poets Journal and Halfway Down the Stairs. His poetry aims to be direct and honest, brilliant and lucrative. He is currently residing in Gloucester, Mass., happily engaged and cleaning windows for a living.