The Woman I will Be

The Woman I will Be
By Evelyn Colbath


I shall wear diamonds and a wide brimmed straw hat with ribbons and flowers on it
And I shall spend my social security on white wine and carrots
And sit in the alley of my barn and listen to my horses breathe.
I will sneak out in the middle of a summer's night
And ride the dappled mare across the moonstruck meadow, if my old bones will allow.
and when people come to call, I will smile and nod,
As I walk them past the gardens to the barn
And show, instead, the flowers growing there
In stalls fresh-lined with straw.
I will shovel and sweat and wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel.
And I will be an embarrassment of all who look down on me
Who have not yet found the peace in being free
To love a horse as a friend, a friend who waits at midnight hour
With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For the Woman I will be when I am old.

Baggage ~ by Evelyn Colbath