THE LONG RIDE HOME

“THE BODY OF A WARRIOR
THE MIND OF A GENTLEMAN
AND THE SOUL OF A BARBARIAN”…..Diana Gabaldon

WOUNDED
BLOOD SMEARED
AND REEKING OF SWEAT
HE WAS FEARLESS AND BOLD
WHEN FIRST WE MET
FORCED ME WITH THREATS
AND CHALLENGING HIM
AT THE POINT OF HIS SWORD
I GAVE IN
I WENT THEN
WENT ON HIS HORSE
WRAPPED IN HIS PLAID

DAZED AND EXHAUSTED
HEAD WRACKED WITH PAIN
EARS STILL RINGING
WITH THE SCREAMS OF THE DEAD
TRAPPED IN THE HELL
OF MY COMING
NUMBED WITH THE
STONES STILL RINGING
UNWILLINGLY HELD IN HIS HEAT
HIS YOUNG BODY CLEAVING
WAKING, THEN SLEEPING
THE HUGE HORSE BENEATH ME
THE ROCKING RYTHM
HIS ARMS AROUND ME
HIS LEG MUSCLES TENSING
FLEXING, RELAXING
THROUGH THE LONG, COLD NIGHT
ON THAT LONG, LONG RIDE
SOAKED WITH RAIN
WARMED BY HIS HEAT
WRAPPED IN HIS PLAID
WE WERE ALREADY ONE
BEFORE WE WERE WED
ON THAT FIRST LONG JOURNEY
FROM THE PLACE OF THE DEAD

UNWILLINGLY BOUND
LOST, THEN FOUND
BY THE TIME WE DISMOUNTED
ME SPLATTERED WITH MUD
HE COVERED IN BLOOD
I LONGED FOR HIS HEAT
THE STRENGTH I HAD KNOWN
ON THAT LONG, LONG JOURNEY
BRINGING ME HOME
I CRAVED HIS WARMTH
I CRAVED HIS SMELL
WITH NO WORDS SPOKEN
MY BODY COULD TELL
HE FELT THE SAME….
UNWILLINGLY, I BELONGED TO HIM THEN
AND I STILL DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HIS REAL NAME

AND I STILL DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HIS REAL NAME

FOR CLAIRE AND JAMIE

MargaretArlen ©️.
Autumn, Central Victoria, 2020
Above Title by Diana Gabaldon
DRUMS OF AUTUMN

Photo belongs to STARZ