A longing calls
Through slumber’s halls—
I leap the walls
That hold the tide

Of jeweled night.
My hooves alight
On heaven’s height.
With none astride,

I navigate
The stars of fate
And seek the gate
To hopes denied.

Though doubts profane
The dark domain
Where love has lain,
Daydreams abide.

~Birthplace of Secretariat at the Meadow, Doswell, Virginia

First published in Glass: Facets of Poetry, no. 5 (Summer 2017): 8. Print.

Notes:

In 1973 Secretariat astounded horse racing fans by crossing the finish line at the Belmont Stakes 31 lengths ahead of his closest challenger. With this victory the Thoroughbred affectionately known as “Big Red” established a new world record, secured the Triple Crown, and earned a reputation as one of the greatest race horses of all time. His birthplace at the Meadow in Doswell has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

 

updated by @elizabeth-spragins: 11/24/19 06:16:51PM