Morgan Town
By Linda A. Copp

Took my candles down to Morgan Town.
There was danger along the way
But, I went ahead anyway.

I saw the hooded falcon fly,
And the shadows stop and stare,
And there was anger everywhere.

The midnight, bluey sky looked down,
star lite, moon lite, too!
And of all the wanderers out tonight,
I knew -
that they all knew.

Impatience as the hours went by,
terror tends to mount.
Till it's gone beyond proportions meant.
And what we can't surmount.
I saw the moon assume its cloak,

It clouded o'er the light,
The lantern once extinguished,
leaves darkness, and the night.
The stars fell out of heaven,
and unto this,
unhallowed ground.
I couldn't see exactly where,
they fell.

So, I lit the candles I had found.
Took the pony I was riding,
gave him time to gape,
whatever my mistake.
And there amidst the emptiness,
uncertainty,
the night,
I caught a glimpse of what,
might have been,
Had I not gone off with him-
tonight.

Was it too soon or much too late?
Should I have stopped?
No, no, I knew I couldn't wait.
My cloak was tattered, torn and worn,
My feet were weary, too!
As was my heart and soul,
and mind,
there was so, much yet, to do.

And so, I traveled on, and on,
on bloody,
bandaged feet,
For there was someone beyond me-
Someone I had to meet.

The cold had wrapped itself around me,
I hoped it had not gotten in
For it's too hard to shake the chill.
It begins to freeze your dreams,
your will,
you know,
and frozen beliefs die.

Like butterflies encased in snow,
the truth inside a lie.
And as the stars that fell around me
began to empty out the sky,
And the cold itself had seeped in,
I began to wonder, why.

Why, oh, why? On this hallowed eve,
Should I set out for Morgan Town?
Why, oh why, should I attempt this trip,
When I was already,
so, very ill,
and the sky was tumbling down . . .

But, still and all, in the heart of me,
in the deepest, depths within,
I knew all of these answers,
but, was still frightened,
of what was to begin.

Midway through the journey,
the pony,
stumbled, fell.
And I came tumbling to the ground.
He, and me as well.

I was so, tempted to lay there,
to freeze there in the cold,
But, I knew that, that would never do,
And the fear would take control.

I crawled upon the pony's back,
How I cannot guess,
but, all I knew was that of all my friends
he'd turned out to be best.

For none would come with me, tonight,
Could, would venture out like this
And we smiled at one another
for the pony and his kiss.

The heart and soul are one, you know,
when they chose to ride alone,
They become the Rider and the Ridden,
The spirit far from home.

And strength doth come from both of them,
Courage bold and shy,
And the direction they are taking,
can outdistance any darkened, troubled sky.

And now, at last, toward daybreak,
just before the dawn,
I saw the end of my journey.
Had it really been so, long?

For when one finally gets there,
no matter, where it be.
The relief is overwhelming
And enough to hasten me.

I saw him standing there ahead,
In a robe, a cloak so, deep,
That for all the world,
and all its gods, I thought he'd gone to sleep.

Until he flashed his magic,
And all along the way.
Rose up and came unto him,
his cloak once deep was star arrayed.

His scepter, wand, his wonder,
brought me closer still.
And I fell on my knees before him,
As he removed the fear and chill.

He swept his arms about us,
my pony and my soul.
And I knew in fragmentary segments,
that the pieces now, were whole.

We rode off to the Farthest stars,
trod clouds, and rainbows high.
And I can tell you this my friend
of my wizard, pony, I

That we three knew,
sincerity, believing, and our love.
Is all there is to magic
And kingdoms, too far, or High Above.

By Linda A. Copp
©January 10, 1982