With overtones of Stevie Smith, the poem ‘I prefer a horse’, on the surface delivers a light relief. The underside of the poem however has a powerful point to make. It’s time to get out of our cars and re-embrace nature, albeit in Clare Chadwick’s mind selectively.
I Prefer a Horse
Llamas and Ostrich leave me cold
wriggly puppies l love to hold.
Chickens and Turkeys thank you no,
give me a lovely big eyed doe.
—
Sheep and goats l do quite like,
not though if l am on a hike.
Likewise free range pigs and cows,
At a distance might strike right.
—
l do not like dirty feet,
especially in the heat.
So farmyards and farmers l bid goodbye
keep your pig in its sty.
—
Marching on l see some stables,
in front of which there are some tables.
A glass of cider goes down well
with the bread and cheese that they sell.
—
Across the road a noble horse
that is my animal of course.
No wet feet or aching limbs.
I saddle up to make my course.
—
We jump the ditches homeward bound
Up and over every mound.
l love my freedom green machine
No cars, no noise and l keep clean.
Poem – I prefer a horse by Clare Chadwick
Image – “Girl and gray arabian horse lie at sunset on summer pasture” by Vicuschka, licensed for Prose and Poetry by Splashlime via adobe stock.
