Photo & Poem: Known

March 24, 2019 / Anna Blake / 22 Comments 
Across the long diagonal to the west corner of
the dry lot, he’s on the far side of the herd,
barely moving as he shifts weight from one
hoof to the other, his neck stretched long,

muzzle to the sandy ground. He pretends to 
eat what’s not there, so he can watch me softly.
He sees as much with his ear as that dark eye. 
I return the gentle half-glance, indirect yet

intimate as a secret breath, feeling my feet shift
after his in this walk of stillness. We could not
be closer, old friend, as a meadowlark trills from
a faded gray fencepost, with nothing to prove.

…

Anna Blake at Infinity Farm
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Anna Blake

22 thoughts on “Photo & Poem: Known”

  2. There’s nothing to prove! That hit me square between the eyes it did. I could tell it was aimed straight at me. And if it’s not, I’m claiming it anyway. I can go out and tell my horses, tell my world, hey there’s nothing to prove, we can just be ourselves and look after each other and we don’t have to prove how good we are to anybody else any more. We can just be who we are. At last! And I’ve been working so hard on it for so long….! (And in case I forget, – Alzheimers or whatever – I’ve written it on a card and posted it on my fridge. It’s that important.!) Thanks yet again for your wisdom Anna.

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  3. Watching, watching, watching. Watching me watching you. They don’t need us emotionally, just for what we have that they can eat, a human they can trust. They can have their backs turned and be picking, 100 metres away or more, pretending they don’t care, but their almost 360 degree vision is watching, detecting movement and checking some inner clock. Do the eyes follow the ears, or vice versa, or both? Beautiful, thanks Anna.

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  7. I love the way you express your thoughts in your writing. It’s so calming to me. I want to pass it on to my horses and the people around me.

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  8. Nothing to prove; that’s it! It’s not riding that gives me wings, it’s connecting with her emotionally. My whole body sighs and my horse responds in kind. Indeed, nothing to prove. No hidden agenda. Now THAT’s a safe place. You have a gift Anna, thank you for sharing it!

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