I shall wear diamonds
And a wide brimmed straw hat
With ribbons and flowers on it
And I shall spend my social security
On white wine and carrots
And sit in the alley of my barn
And listen to my horses breathe
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I will sneak out in the middle of
A summer's night
And ride the dappled mare
Across the moonstruck meadow
If my old bones will allow
And when people come to call
I will smile and nod
As I walk them past the gardens to the barn
And show, instead, the flowers growing there
in stalls fresh-lined with straw
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I will learn to shovel and sweat and
Wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel
And I will be an embarrassment to all
Who look down on me
Who have not yet found the peace in being free
To love a horse as a friend
A friend who waits at midnight hour
With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For that's the kind of woman I will be
When I am Old.
---Lou Cadwell
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