Foal and Mare
Blazing light bursts in on his vision
joining a cacophony of sound.
Overwhelming sensations
of a light breeze
tickle his wet coat
and warmth envelopes him
like a comforting blanket.
A deep breath pulls in morning air
musky over the tongue
and a heavy aroma fills his nostrils.
Sensations foreign
fill his big brown eyes
with bewildering images.
Wavy hair on his neck fluttering
and a smell sublime to the newborn foal;
the odor of the equine
the sensing of his mother
and the overwhelming allure of the mares milk.
Some instinctual calling commands his legs
and he pushes upward.
He feels his trembling legs
flexing, lifting.
He wobbles in place and staggers
but his legs seem to know where to go
and they extend, holding him upright.
From this new vantage point
he is able to see much more around him.
A large figure looms in front of him
and gently touches her nose against his.
Instantly, he is overcome with a sensation
of security, comfort, love, and hunger.
The craving draws him in
and nestled into mother, he feeds
relishing the filling contentment
until intoxicated with the experience
of new senses, nourishment, and bonding
he sleepily staggers away
unsure about the feeling
until with a soft nickering
the dam reassures him
that he can follow this new sense
down into a soft spot on the grass
where he can slowly drift off
into a foals dream of following
the galloping images he espies
on the horizon beyond
the guarding mare.
