Sailing Horses

Dreamed of horses last night, wonderful strong, running. Off through magnificent green rolling hills, down into deep coolies, and back, racing past me, colored ones, deep reds, dappled ones, black ones with snow caps on their bottoms. I let them sweep by. I'd "be a gate" as my grandad would tell me. The spotted ones would run right up close, the white in their brown eyes shining, they'd snort at me, glide by, I could feel the hooves rumble the earth, smell the dirt tilled by a hundred striped hooves. The tall green grasses sweeping into hilltop waves, a green sea, a prairie ocean. I breathed the breeze, salty saddle blanket air, watching each above midline, strong chests, muscled sinew, heads and necks, strong backs, sail through the green sea like a small flotilla of fast ships, the gang would race together each with its personal flag of identity spotted backs or fronts, short and long tails mixing the froth of the grassy ocean in its wake, marking each boats course. Chasing each other in a prairie regatta, outward bound, side by side through the green waves, turn past the far away hilltop trees, then down into the swell together, following, following, and then up, over the crests break to sail past me again. I imagined them not using the wind but making it. Arms stretched, hands and fingers feeling the seeds of the green waves, swaying to and fro washing my palms, the swell coming, grassy waves parting in the wake of each creature hurtling past.

The party would stand and wait, mill about and whistle, watch me meander toward them, arm held out, palm up, "come babies, come babies" my grandfather's voice. Some care less about me, ready to race again, a few, ears forward, tension easing in each neck, each flank. Float through the sea to meet me. Each greeter inhaling big deep breaths as they glide up, big full breath's and puff's, warm past my face, then smaller wonderful puffs, delicate, breaths full of the smell of

grassy ocean waves. Big wobbly lips checking my palms for goodies, the crew pushing against me, bobbing, in to check me out, they tell me "we know you". Bobbly nodding heads "welcome back". Head’s over my shoulder, big neck scratches, pat's, our necks entwined, all now brushing, nudging gently against me, head bumps, and noses seeking treats in my pockets. Snorting and pawing, tails chasing flies, the aroma of my family, now all about me.

Come on, 'come with us' each would whinny, a frolic of bucking, hooves up. Each of their heads nodding in unison "Come on friend, sail with us" the troupe rushed to the start, and off they sped, chests breaking the waves, grasses cresting into wakes, and waves, full speed, into the swell, up and back toward me, again my arms out waiting, fingers feeling the warmth of hair and skin as each washed by, “welcome back brother” each would whisper, “welcome back son” each would whinny as they galloped the next route out and back.