Equine Dream

© 2012 David Jasmin-Green

As the dawn was breaking
I dreamed a dream of three sentient beings
rustling in the straw of a shadowy stable.
As the sun rose the creatures
wandered out onto the cobbled yard,
and I beheld a horse, a zebra and an ass -
a dappled horse huge and strong, but fettered,
a zebra lithe and proud, wild and free
and an old, crippled ass that held a shining key
clenched tightly between his yellow, oversized teeth.

The horse retreated into his stall, already broken,
and he spoke with fearful words garbled by the bit.
“Master, I am here to do your bidding,
and your every wish is my command.
Anything you want, really, consider it yours.
You are my Lord, I worship the very ground you tread on
and if your arse needs licking I'm the only man
even remotely qualified for the job.
Please, don't beat me.....”

The zebra stepped forward and spoke out fast and free,
his brave but bumbling words disjointed and incoherent,
cluttered by an overdose of enthusiasm.
“Come and get me, bad boy.
Yo' the man, ain'tcha? Ha! Didn't you boast
that you were the sharpest, swiftest arrow in the quiver?
C'mon, whattcha waiting for?
Catch me if you can, sucker.”

The ass casually spat his shining key out onto the cobbles,
and as he hobbled laboriously towards me
he spoke slowly and fluently,
each syllable immaculately pronounced,
his message leaving a clear imprint on my brain.
“Beat me if it gives you pleasure,” he said.
Chastise my coltishness if you must,
and come on, any fool can catch me.
Laugh at my appearance if it makes you happy;
such cruel, trite, ultimately pointless pleasures
tickle your sort, don't they?
Even though I've freely relinquished the key to eternity
you cannot unlock the mask of my stupidity,
you can never gaze upon the magnificent kingdom
hidden beneath my cretinous grin
because believe me, you are not worthy.
For always, forever and a day
my secret wisdom will elude you and your kind,
and until the mournful peal of bells
lackadaisically heralds the onset of Armageddon
my braying laughter will jar your nerves and ring in your ears.
Do as you will, man cub. Really,
do exactly as you please, just as you always did
ever since you sprang unbelieving from the dust.
But remember, you will never have my obedience,
and you will never rule this land.”