They bore us away on their shoulders,
The winds,
And carried us farther than we’d ever been,
Took us places we had never seen,
And gave us breath that we’d never drawn.

Tall, proud, we rode high upon those shoulders,
Brawny and full.
They powered and steered the ships of long ago
But only stand to menace now—
No one turns to them for help.

We flew into the night upon those shoulders,
In those arms.
We knew safety, but we knew exhilaration:
Life was ours for the taking,
And the night was becoming our servant.

We had tamed the winds and their shoulders.
Harnessed,
They could do no more damage but serve us.
And how they’ve served! What once
Was mysterious now is known and obedient—

Like the winds, they offer us their shoulders.
We accept.
We travel worlds upon our muscled perches,
Nestled into the cozy pockets of those necks,
And let them bear us abroad, never again to settle.

01/07/2004

Posted on 01/08/2004
Copyright © 2024 Devon E Mattys