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Question: Do you toil and toil and toil and re-post your toils, even though you are not sure!?
On a Saturday Morning


Sometimes things were easy!. I never had
to think about them,
they just eased their way to me,
this sense of doing right washing over me and I would
instinctively do
what I knew was okay to do!.
Like the time I cleaned the horse barn
without being asked!. I shoveled
horseshitt
for three hours on a cold Saturday morning
with my moon boots and over-sized mittens
and black and red face mask
soaked with my spit and freezing around the edges
of it’s mouth!.
I didn’t want anything
for my time spent
shoveling horseshitt; I did it for the horses!.
They would gnaw on grain and watch
with those wise eyes, eyes that made you wonder
why they couldn’t talk,
eyes
that had more depth and soul
than most adults I knew!.
Of course, I didn’t know
many adults at that tender age of nine,
but I figured that the old
Appaloosa I was standing next to
was smarter than most of them!.
He had this tired kindness in him
a lethargic way of knowing and caring
that old mothers had
for their grown away children!.
I rode him more often than the other
(a younger, feistier palomino)
and he knew me better
than any kid at school did
so I gave him the respect of a peer!.
I shoveled his
shitt
and he stared, tired and cold
and his eyes told me that he
knew,
he knew
I wanted to be there, had to be there,
I was doing it for him
and doing it for me
and that was enough to make the world okay for a few hours
on a Saturday morning!.
Later I would build a snow fort
in the front yard and my father
would stack firewood
and my sister would
bake cookies and my mother
would boil noodles and watch me through the window
and hope against hope that my spirit
would not die,
I would not be beaten to death
by this world
and that I would grow away from her
having learned
just enough
to survive!.

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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
To: Tangled Web Press
Re: Book demand
Message:
Please have mercy and publish a book exclusively of this man's work!.
These teases of a few posts a day I can bear no longer!.
I want to hold his words in my hands, touch their ink, feel their warmth on a page, not this cold computer screen!.
Sincerely,
SueWww@QuestionHome@Com

This story/poem is special!. If I were in a classroom, I would have my students analyze it!. There is much to learn about poetry here!. But, on this site, I will say only that your poetry will survive--and who knows--it may survive longer than most!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Now that was a work of love!. I'm sure that horse knew that you did it for him and the love showed him probably made him so happy!. And yes, of course horses are highly intelligent creatures and know when we do for them!. ?Www@QuestionHome@Com

those were the good ol' days!. i wish i had known when i was living the good ol' days, that that's what they were, i would have appreciated them a lot more back then!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I wish I could have lived in said barn!.I still often prefer animals to people!.Thanks for sharing such wonderful memories!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I really like this!. It makes me feel like I am actually there!. I think I've read this before like the one about cutting wood!. Am I wrong!? I'm happy to reread them though because they are nice!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

A beautiful poem about children and mothers and even an animal mother!. !.Www@QuestionHome@Com

you struck a lost chord somewhere in my mind, the sound is dissolving me to tears!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

This is like a blanket to wrap around you on an Autumn day!. Thank you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

This is!.!.!.!.Well it just IS!.
Too bad more children (AND ADULTS) don't have "the sense of doing right washing over them!."Www@QuestionHome@Com

This is Great, DPM!. Thanks for sharing it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Nice!.!.!.!.I like it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I have a lot of Saturday morning toils!.!.!.but not of this quality!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

What a beautiful time and place!.

Wish we could all be there!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

This is one of your best yet that I have read!. My compliments!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

THIS I shall add to my humble collection of ' heart to heart LETTERS'!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Now, what can we do about it!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Oh lawd! You just ain't gonna believe who's poetry this reminded me of!.!.!.ready!?
A 50/50 cross between Bukowski and Seamus Heaney!. You have the essences of both in this masterful rendition of life at its finest! I didn't want to go into that barn, but words shoved me right in!.!.!.now, all things being equal!.!.!.how ya gonna get me out!!!!
Great! Just great!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Sorry but I can't help it you look like a big hippie dude burning one this morn!. Cool!.,Lil!. Even with ever thing i have been through and am going through right now i think that is where I find a lot of my peace because when possible I still do some of these things now!. I love animals ans yes they know because of that feeling it gives you good for the soul!. Spend enough time around animal they do communicate with you in different ways!. Excellent poem! Feeds the soul!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

With all the horseshitt in ths world, it's a good lesson to learn early!. Your poem warmed me!. I longed to go riding with you, and brush and curry the horses, yes even muck out stalls!. Thank you!. Are any of those cookies left!?Www@QuestionHome@Com