Vanquished

. VANQUISHED An uproar in my neighbour’s yard I heard, Which brought me scurrying out into my own. A sad, unsightly sight it was that stirred Before my eyes – in all its crudeness shown! I soon descried, amidst the pandemonium, A gallant horse with head lifted high, Incommoded by a bunch of hoodlums Who tried, with whips, his pride to mortify. Revolted he and kicked with violent wrath; Ululantly loud was heard his neighbouring: And from his mouth, exuded foaming froth, With ‘hey! s and ho! s’ while beastly men were braying. Mobbing him, all round, like bustling bees, With bridles, bits and reins in their possession, Trainers tried a sneaky chance to seize To harness him, amidst a flogging session! Sanguineous streams soon started flowing While scourges lashed the horse relentlessly! I saw, aghast, that bits of skin were blowing Off, while humans sought ascendancy! No more could I withstand this grizzly scene (Where man looked the beast and beast the man) : So back I went into my room to screen My eyes against this horse-mastering clan. But lingered, still, a morbid, mental picture And thoughts that I would rather have forsaken: My restless mind started to conjecture What turn the show, next, door, would have taken. My neighbour’s new equine acquisition Had looked to me Pegasus come alive - For artists all a paying proposition, Their theme and inspiration to derive! This captive horse must have left behind Hoof-prints of his boundless liberty - Setting sail, in poets’ streaming minds, Ship-loads of prancing poetry! With flowing mane and trail’s flying tresses, Like wind he must have raced – fast and free! Now, here he is, entrapped in human meshes For coaching in the art of slavery! Soon his broken will will be bridled; His freedom, soon, will find itself in chains; His princely pride, with cunning will be stifled; Unvanquished, not for long, he’ll remain. Lost in gloomy thoughts and reflections, Lost was I to how much time I spent. Now, apprehensively, for reinspection Of my hooved hero, out I went. The ungulate no more was ‘flying horse’: That all his pride lay in disarray His lowered head and eyes did endorse: I saw him being meekly led away.