RACING TOWARD EXTINCTION
The icons of America
are racing fast toward extinction
a vicious web
our wild ones are caught in
Once a symbol of freedom
out in the open country
where the cowboys live
and the eagles fly
Wild horses and burros
that served man for centuries
will be all but a memory
in the not so distant future
Their freedom once captured
the fantasies of millions
who dreamed and dared
to go west
and find their way
What should have been gratitude
ends in a legacy of servitude
the animals did not ask for
but gave nonetheless
The west will be silent
without the thunder of hooves
galloping across the open range
leaving dusty clouds
The silence of death
and dreams
for those trying to save them
and the horses and burros
who are now lost to us all
What a tragic tale of loss
stitched in time
by the warriors
who fought the good fight
to the bitter end
As their time runs out
and all hope seems lost
their souls will haunt the land
until the sun sets
for its last goodbye
- Staci-lee Sherwood
Also published on fevers of the mind May 17, 2022 https://feversofthemind.com/2022/05/17/2-new-poems-from-staci-lee-sherwood/
& as spoken word https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7HS3mb-f2k&t=4s