When I Am Old

When I am old…
I shall wear diamonds
And a wide brimmed straw hat
With ribbons and flowers on it.
And I shall spend my social security
On white wine and carrots and shall sit in the alley of my
Barn and listen to my horse breathe.
I will sneak out in the middle of a summer’s night
And ride the dappled mare
Across the moonstruck meadow
If my old bones will allow.
And when people come to call,
I will smile and nod,
As I walk them past the garden to the barn
And show, instead, the flowers growing there
In stalls fresh-lined with straw.
I will learn to shovel and sweat and
Wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel.
And I will be an embarrassment to all
Who look down on me
Who have not yet found the peace in being free
To love a horse as a friend,
A friend who waits at midnight hour
With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For that’s the kind of woman I will be
When I am old.

By
Lou Cadwell