<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Riding The War Horse</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">For years & years</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Nostrils flared, hair flaying </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Sword at the ready </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">to slay obstacle </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">and enemy alike</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">There’ve been so very many.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22.7px;" class=""><span class="s1"></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Here in the supermarket</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Seeming to wander with purpose</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Stick to the list or seduction</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">And lustfully hunt and to stalk</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Slowly up the biscuit isle we go</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Behind a man who trails </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">His wife toward the checkout</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22.7px;" class=""><span class="s1"></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">An argument at the ready, my sister arrives</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1"> She: Will you ever clean your house?</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1"> Me: Will you have tea?</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">No more to go to war</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">When letting go, both let go.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22.7px;" class=""><span class="s1"></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Here in my dusty home </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">This garden and I </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Begin our slow crumble toward a winter retreat.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22.7px;" class=""><span class="s1"></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Seeing now and at last</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">The night, a squillion stars</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">That bombastic ocean</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">The waves, on whose salty </span><span class="s2" style="font-style: italic;">escalators, arrive</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">The wind, those fragrant and flatulent westerlies</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Rain, cloudy with hope, soon to arrive</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">And I.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">At peace with others, at one with myself</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22.7px;" class=""><span class="s1"></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Dancing to the other side of anguish</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1">Where wisdom lies </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1"><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1"><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Mary-Anne Seiju O’Sullivan </span></div></body></html>