GAIL DUDLEY
Maricopa County, Arizona
About Gail Dudley
A Cowgirl's Dream
She had a good eye - or that's what they say,
and she picked him from quite a long distance away
running proud and alone, apart from the herd.
Yes, he was a fine one, I give you my word.
She knew above all that he had a good heart,
and he seemed to take to her right from the start.
He was eager to please, honest and kind,
but he made it quite clear that he had his own mind.
She made no demands that he couldn't meet.
Her hands were gentle; her voice was sweet.
Day in and day out in the heat and the dust,
she did all she could to earn his trust.
Sometimes it seemed they were right on the verge
of two rebel souls beginning to merge,
but just when she felt he was coming around,
he'd spit the bit and head for high ground.
Then all she could do was pitch him some rein
and start the whole process all over again.
Not once did she show him abuse or neglect;
she chose to back off out of love and respect.It was best to turn loose, let things run their full course.
She was certain that she could gain nothing by force.
But as the days passed, she cared more and more,
because he was genuine right to the core.
In her dreams he came openly seeking her touch
with the trust and the love that she craved so much.
She caressed him and held him and gave him her heart
without taking the freedom he'd prized from the start.
And together they had the strength and the will
to ford every stream and climb every hill.
They could spin and roll back and stop on a dime,
and they scored close to perfect every time.
Then she awoke as the bright sun peeked through,
and she knew that he stood somewhere watching it too.
Peculiar to some, strange though it may seem,
she was grateful to him for the gift of a dream.© 2006, Gail Dudley
This poem may not be reprinted or reposted without the author's written permission.
About Gail Dudley:
I live in the Rio Verde foothills in Maricopa County, Arizona (just outside Cave Creek). I am a Kentuckian by birth, but a cowgirl at heart. I have lived in Arizona for 28 years, and plan to stay here for a while longer. My poems and articles have been published in Artemis, Arizona Highways, Phoenix Home & Garden, The Washington Post, The Roanoke Times, The Martinsville Bulletin, The Tribune, and Sonoran News. I earned my M.A. in English Writing from Hollins College in Hollins, Virginia Now, I own and operate a small shop in Cave Creek and raise American Saddlebred horses at my place, Sweetwater Farms.
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