Don Thompson
Lifers
Horses do life on hay and water.
Hard time.
You can see in their eyes the distances
contemplated with their heads lifted,
looking over fence rails all afternoon.
Horses know how to stand so still
it makes us uneasy.
Nostrils distended—sensitive enough
to pick up the faint scent
of could-have-been.
Bio
Don Thompson has been writing about the San Joaquin Valley for over fifty years, including a dozen or so books and chapbooks. For more info and links to publishers, visit his website at www.don-e-thompson.com.