Blood on the Green Prairie Grass

C. J. Edwards

The warning about galloping the horses
Blew fresh in my mind as I leaned
Forward on the saddle

Wind roared in my ears
The animal’s mane whipped my face
The other riders spread out to either side

I whooped and plunged ahead

Two of the mares ran with fillies
The young horses shook their heads
Hooves paused in mid air and whinnied

Hooves thundered around a curve
I had forgotten
the barbed wire ahead

The trail narrowed

I sawed at the reins
Everyone stopped short
But the fillies

One through the open gate
The other plunged
Into the unforgiving wire

I shouted

To no effect
It was already wrapped and twisted
In the rusted barbs

Its scream was answered by the mare
Who tossed her head while the filly grappled
With the snaking iron strands