The Witch's Ride

I tried to brush my horse’s mane

"What have you done to tangle

it this way?"

He turned his furry face my way

"The witches came for me," he said.

"The nights dark mantle

covered the earth,

a wild wind rose up instead

with a slip of a stick came a witch.

She was dressed in black,

the same as I...

Before I knew she was on my back

urging me to go faster yet.

Of course I did, I ran so fast

my hooves left the dirt.

I jumped the fence!

It happened before I knew it.

You know, I would never

do that to you.

But there I was up in the sky

galloping across the clouds.

The silver moon lined us bright

as we flew,

really flew through the night.

We followed the wind.

Stars filled my eyes.

The witch behind me

in her tattered clothes,

laughed, and cackled with delight

as we turned from the moons gilding,

back to black as night.

We caused mischief

from one house to another.

She made me prance

on roof tops and gutters.

We reared over innocent travelers.

As we darkened the sky

They would scream ‘Not I! Not I!’

She finally with

the lightening of the sky,

took me back to pastures home,

promising another nights roam."

"Did the witches ride you last night?" I asked,

"Your mane is a tangled sight!"

Sally Y. Weber,

2006