"A stardust trail of rodeo dreams..."

I remember
the way her hair
became 
braided by the wind...
twisted
by the fingers of
a mountain
sylph...
at one
with
her horse's
mane

she was like
a bay
colt
who'd been
given her
head
and
streaked across
the clear blue of
a  Colorado sky
as surprising as a comet,
behind her 
a stardust trail of
rodeo
dreams

her eyes
crinkle with
gentleness as
spring foals
drop from her
arms
into
tender
grass
and her
husband's
trusting
smile

her hands are
strong but her touch
is light and firm

her seat is
sure
confident
as she
leans into
a barrel,
or urges
a
stallion
through
a
labyrinth
of poles

we have cried together
in pastures...
green with
a blanket of
summer
hay
beneath us...
and above us
only sky...

we have 
prayed our
faith in hymns, 
as we
circled
a paddock
or
comforted
a
nervous
rider.

she bears
the lantern
of a
young girls
secret
summer
dreams,
while
dancing and
flying
to the
nickering
of
her
mare's
nightsong...

her love is
as
fierce and hot
as
a mother's
tears, and
as
sweet and
fragrant
as
prairie
yarrow
in
july...

she is
linda