I was walking on a forest path one cool autumn evening when I heard a fluttering sound worth investigating. I peeked into a small clearing amazed by what I could see thousands of Monarch butterflies clinging to the trees. Wings of orange and black fluttering in the air amongst the pine tree branches so captivating and rare. I could not believe my eyes such a surprising sight it was thousands of Monarch butterflies then sc...
Now, here they were, as the horses broke their circling and began moving down the course towards the one-mile starting post. They had followed their usual betting ploy but had managed no better than three to one for Trafalgar. Jack noticed that no one wished to divulge how much they had risked. He wondered if the twenty pounds he had wagered had anything to do with the trembling in his chest but knew it was much more than...
The Two Thousand Guineas. At last! Jack Wetherley’s heart pounded, as the eleven horses trotted out onto the course. The bright silks of the jockeys added to the extra colour provided by the glamorous gowns worn by the lady spectators and the maroon, purple and vivid blues of the men’s jackets. The excited buzz of the massed crowds all around them, and the sunlight gifted for this early May festival heightened Jack’s alre...
With sleeves of leaves in nature's vest the winds blow mellow upon the dew as I sit composing silently musing the loveliest of dawn's twilight reminiscing a budding seed to leaf a flower
Maybe when you're alone you think of me, because I was your wife-to-be. Maybe you tried but could not see, that I needed you in my life especially. Maybe time will tell if you were right, that I don't need you in the night. Maybe you don't need me in your life, but you wanted me to be your wife. Maybe I should try to let you go, but I really don't know. Maybe you were all I ever needed, but your love gradually receded. Ma...
With Alf still joyous at his winning wager, he and Jack left the others and headed for the stables to prepare Trafalgar for his next big test. Reaching the stall where their thoroughbred stood. ‘Much cooler and calmer than I am,’ Jack thought. They soon heard the hoofbeats of the horses going out for the second race. Alf checked Trafalgar’s hooves, ensuring the four shoes were firmly in place. Trying to convince himself t...
Writing that last bit has made me wonder how I handled my cigarette habit, which at the time was a pack a day. I was between towns for days at a time, how would I even buy them? I distinctly remember, mid-trip, buying a pack of Canadian cigarettes, and being shocked at how expensive they were, which tells me I wasn’t walking into town for smokes every night. I suddenly remember that before I left Minneapolis to begin the...
Heading for Doncaster race meeting, settled high on the horsebox seat, Jack knew he going to have to suppress his growing worry of what lay ahead. He flicked at the reins to urge on the two dray horses in order to keep pace with the carriage that Alf, the chief ostler, was driving. Inside the carriage was Sir Oswald Brandling, and, surprisingly, his wife, Lady Brandling, who had missed the York race, but Sir Oswald had to...
When I think of you and the way you speak, it makes me think that our love is unique. When I think of you and your perfect physique, my heart melts and my knees grow weak. The way you lay beside me in your sleep, I love our conversations because they're so deep. When your hand touches my figure, every time my love grows bigger. When I lay on top of you and take in your scent, And you speak to me in your sexy accent. When...
Do you remember our first night? When you hold me in your arms so tight, even though the moon wasn't bright, It was the only place where I felt right. Do you remember my scent? And I do miss your accent, I still remember the day you went. When you left, was it in your best intent? Did you already get your degree? I never had something to disagree, If I knew beforehand, or could somehow foresee, that I will be asking mysel...
...the time is now, a maddening shadow I can't remember the shape of things to come or the diameter of my success the face of sorrow, hands of tomorrow or the sinister winds knowing my name fracturing my soul to eat from my mind yesterday's omelet in this world divided by paranoia or forbidden knowledge
With the impending race so near, life became a whirl of activity, with much discussion between Jack, Alf and Nate regarding the pace and distance Trafalgar was capable of. Apart from the training, other work was necessary. Jack and Alf worked on preparing the horsebox for the journey, fitting rolls of sacking around the inside to prevent any injury to Trafalgar on uncertain roads. Two days before their journey into the un...
With clenched fists, I pound on your door Shrill cries unlike you’ve ever heard before Mustering all the strength I have left in my core Frantic and desperate screams, you ignore In the dead of night, the world is without colours A twig cracks, a bush shudders Gasping for air as my heart flutters As shadowed beasts encircle me like vultures With a menacing grin and eyes of jade Slowly approaching, each wielding a sharp bl...
I met some nice folks at the State Park. An older couple (probably about the age I am now) staying in an RV in the next camping spot over shared some of their breakfast with me, and wished me luck. I walked out onto the highway. I got a ride right up to the Canadian border early the next morning. He stopped before we got there. “You aren’t carrying drugs or anything,” he asked me. “No, I promise.” I was being truthful. “O...
Despite the ignominious ending of my previous trip, I was determined to try it again, with a few key differences. One: Note that my Dad was leaving me on the shoulder of I-90, not I-35. I was heading north, not east. I had decided to hitchhike to New York City via Canada, swinging over the top of the Great Lakes before dropping down into the US near Champlain. Two: I would be travelling alone. Three: This was a one-way tr...
