THE DARK HORSE

THE DARK HORSE

(Black Caviar)

By Frances Harris

  

Born to a mare that nobody knows,

Her sire was a horse of renown,

Carefree and strong to roam with her dam,

The ‘Gilgai,’ was home for a while,

A yearling of sorts, a dark horse for sure,

Training, the best was for her,

Giving her heart, and lending her soul,

The future was there to explore,  

The yearling was sold, for a fairly low price

 To a group who would give her their best,

Her courage was fierce, a princess indeed,

Black Caviar’s making her mark, 

Smashed all her records, the crowd’s going wild,

Striving for greatness, not breaking her stride,

Twenty five starts and never a loss,

The headlines were hers for a time,

Money changed hands, the winner takes all,

Many a ‘bookie,’ had taken a fall,
Some took their winnings; the rest hit the town,
Trainer and strapper, had both shed a tear, 

The crowds from Australia were watching this race,

Royal Ascot in Jubilee Year,
The barrier dropped, then she lengthened he stride,
This queen claimed her realm - by a nose.

FRANKENSTEIN’S DOG

FRANKENSTEIN’S DOG

By Frances Harris

Sniffing round the doctor’s table,

Just another normal dog,

Pagan is a half bull mastiff,

Then he might be part Great Dane,

Just last night a goat’s been slaughtered,

Master downs a pint of Scotch,

Leeches crawling in a bottle,

Medicine for wounds and aches,

Everything is on the table,

Most of it is packed in jars,

Pagan gets a whiff of goose fat,

Planning how to take his fill,

Boiler’s steaming on the stove top,

Think it’s maybe rotting fish,

Brains and little things that wriggle,

Making up the monster’s dish,

Pagan hears the back room tussle,

Knowing that it’s time to eat,

Hearing chains and cages rattle,

Pagan knows they’ll soon go in,

Checking if the scars have healed yet,

Doctor Frank soon needs to check,

Now the key is turning fully,

Door is creaking, he goes in,

Pagan follows to be with him,

Soon the bandages come off,

In the room there is a table,

Someone bound is strapped on top,

Pagan prances round the table,

Thinking that he might be fed,

Doctor Frank is looking worried,

Takes the strips of cloth right off,

Someone in the cage is restless,

Looking for his goat’s blood stew,

Pagan stops and runs for cover,

Can’t see if it’s man or beast,

Someone brings a spilling bucket,

Bright red liquid down the sides,

Pours a measure on a platter,

Slips it through a narrow gate,

Pagan sees the food uncovered,

Tips the bucket on the floor,

Takes a whiff, then thinks he’ll leave it,

Curls his tail and slinks away.



HOPE

HOPE

By Frances Harris

Hope is an elusive vein that ripples through humanity,

A treasured quality, not an object, not a thing,

But something that keeps the heart beating steadily,

When everything seems lost,

Hope encourages us to explore, to ask, to review,

To look in places where we previously did not,

Hope rides on the back of new ideas, discoveries, inventions,

And most of all, it is the reason why we don’t give up,

Hope shines in the eyes of a child, a new parent, a teacher,

Always present, it is ours to grasp, if we will,

Those among us, when we find hope, grab on to it with both hands,

Because we know it is real,

 In hope we learn the value of the wait, patience, generosity,

Because from these things, new promises come forward,

More than gold or silver, hope leads us toward meaning,

It offers us new beginnings,

Hope is the wellspring of fresh clean waters,

If not for us, then for others passing through this existence,

It is good will, magnified, purified and ours if we care to reach out for it,

Hope never dies; it passed through, from one to another.



SECRET

SECRET

By Frances Harris

I know I have a secret?
I keep it deep inside,
Sure I mustn’t tell it,
It’s something I must hide,

It will not stop a misery,
And cannot stop a fall,
Is there any point to it?
I know I should tell all,

But if I tell my secret,
An tell them all the truth,
Will there be a falling?
And can I take the rap?

I know I cannot carry,
This deep and personal trial,
It’s true that life is like that,
But I’m not the one to bail,

What further truth can fix it?
There’s trouble in the air,
I really don’t know what to do,
If all my worlds collide

.





AWAY

  

AWAY

By Frances Harris

You’ve been gone quite a while and I miss you a lot,

I think of you all of the time,

You’ve travelled so far, to a place I don’t know,

With people I’m sure are so brave,

I worry a lot but I’m sure you will cope,

In this barren and desolate world,

You’re courageous and strong, a mother of one,

A family who loves and supports you,

A mother yourself, the child waits at home,

With her daddy whose taking great care,

You’ll soon be back home, in the arms of your love,

He’s been keeping you safe in his heart,

We wait for some news, that you’re back safe and sound,

With others who share your commitment,

The friends that you’ve made are the strength of your life

Who nurture and help to sustain you.

You’ve achieved quite a lot in the years you’ve been gone,

My pride is near bursting its seams,

I know that my girl you will make us all proud,

Go home safe to the place of your heart.