Adventures of Billy and Blaze: The All-Barn Poetry Gathering

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

Here is the latest chapter of the _Billy and Blaze_ "book" by Aarene...for
those who wanted to hear our gelding's (Billy's and Cabby's) recount of their
escape from camp and subsequent rescue.  

They have recovered from their dings and are back on the trails getting ready
for the next ride.  Enjoy! 

Sue

----------------------

Well, at last we hear the full story.  

Blaze started it, of course.  At the weekly All-Barn Poetry Gathering, to
which
everyone wears their flymasks as berets, and puts on the black turtleneck
Sleezies, his contribution was the following: 
   
    "There once was a gelding named Billy 
     Who was so exceedingly silly 
          When someone yelled "boo!" 
          He kicked up his shoes 
      And was lost for four days on the hilly!" 

The crowd went wild! Billy, of course was greatly offended, especially when
all
the mares kept giggling and whispering "boo!" to each other.  So Billy
composed
the following epic as a refutation: 

The Heroic Adventure of Me, Billy, in the Fearsome Desert, Last Month 
<ahem> 
'Twas the night before Prineville, and all through the grounds 
Were mumblings and crunchings and scary-type sounds. 
The saddles were hung by the paddocks with care, 
In hopes that the starting time soon would be there; 

We horses were nestles all snug in our beds 
While visions of MONSTERS did dance in our heads; 
And Cabbie in his blankie and me in mine too, 
Told stories of ghosties and terrors and goo, 

When over the way there arose such a clatter, 
I sprang from my hay--I KNEW what was the matter. 
I ran to the fenceline, dumped over the mash, 
I stepped on my bucket and heard a great CRASH-- 

The moon in the desert was spooky and cool 
I could just about see monster's glittering drool, 
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, 
Something so scary I can't tell you right here, 

It was covered in fur, and it's teeth stuck out bright, 
and its claws were extended on left foot and right 
Its cheeks were distended and its tail very fierce 
I could tell if it caught me, my nice fur it'd pierce 

It was chubby and plump, and it grabbed at my face, 
And I ran when I saw it, up towards outer space! 

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, 
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, 
So out of the camp me and Cabbie both flew, 
With our fly masks and halters and the electric fence too. 


My sweet little rider, so lively and quick, 
I heard her shout to her partner: *Oh SHIT!* 
They all grabbed their flashlights and they sought us in vain, 
And they whistled, and cursed us, and called us by name; 

"Here, Billy! Here, Cabbie! Come, Knothead and Jerk! 
Here, Sweetheart! Here, Darling! Come Peabrain and Twerp!" 
To the edge of the camp, to the top of the hill, 
Now dash away!  Dash away!  Dash away all! 


We ran to the hill, to the very tip-top 
We felt really brave and we forgot how to stop! 
But then we got lonely and hungry and scared 
We wished we could find our way home to the mares. 

But they found us at last--4 days later I'm told 
Jerry hauled us back home before we got cold 
I'll try racing again, maybe next month, I might-- 
Happy trails, y'all, and to all a good night! 

<ahem.  Thank you.  ahem.> 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Dance like nobody's watching, 
     Love like you've never been hurt, 
          Work like you don't need money, 
                    And ride like you can't fall off! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Aarene Storms        aarenex@earthlink.net 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~