Horse of Arabia

Horse of Arabia

by: Husam Salman

A thousand flowers bloomed in my room

A horse was standing on my bed when I returned

I peered out my window yelling, Horse, Horse

The passing queen in the downtown Emanuel battlefield threw side glances

Bitchy, as though a side glance could be anything but

Two hipsters started berating me, implored me to shut up

I drove wildly to the suburbs of the suburb

Calling for my mother’s coddling arms

A room of vast empty awaited me

I spent the night in the lonely

Reached out to my therapist

Whom I had recently ditched, hitting on me was rather unethical

I’ve cracked, I hit a psychotic break, ‘There is a Horse on my bed’

No words to turn back the toll of the past clock

Once the words were said, I didn’t stay for a response

As his eager eyes searched me wantonly

I called my ex boyfriend, he was busy with his new found love

I anxiously blurted that I had a horse on my bed, spasmodically and mad

He ended up yelling at me, not understanding frightened him

Eluded my next response, and asked me to leave,

Tough love with the strong arms of cold force

Ran into a couple, that I have long been friends with and galloped at them “Horse!”

They looked at me in bewilderment and interest and read me sideways

Advising me to not hang out with that queen I had brought with me to their party

But figured that their comment, though poignant,

Was misplaced pulled from perspective’s closet

By the end of the day they sent me peace offerings

Via text from their castle in the sky

‘It was good seeing you’ and, ‘you’re so funny calling me a horse’

But there; being no idea, and no context

Therefore the ranch of your dear pastures graze contains no horse

You said your grandmother was mad;

Don’t expect me to exercise your daemons when you cannot answer hers

Startled that no one was seeing the idea of which I left in the room alone

On a shelf for so long, now pulled down, dealt with, fixed and returned from the oblivion

Upon which I cast it in the past hope that those dreams were too much to fulfill

He raced hastily, from room to room announcing his presence and sharing his newly

Yet merely, found again presents, this Night Mare, cast into the day to be shared

I stared back at him, no single nuance of detail differed

Looking into the library of my forgotten past where stood, Jesus and Buddha

He did not snarl at me, I regret having ignored his presence for all these years,

Enraged and reckless eyes stared back then turned away for a moment from shame

And disgust, age had taken its’ toll, white hairs sat where once midnight glistened

I toiled away every day at matters trivial to both existence and enrichment
Remembrance would twinkle in at random

Affection for this idea refused to be evaded anymore

A horse, myself hungry for more of the path once paved in memory

Reflecting back, seeing that this remains my golden road

Lucky to have awoken when I did that ‘morning’, the horse was on its last leg

Dying a slow, immortal but forgotten death

Horrid state, pick yourself up and begin from here, anew

Horse that runs in my head for so long knowing only your hunger for freedom
Ride and be, the universe had opened once again and I too remember

How I am a chosen one

Your life begins here; the waiting room of the mind traps you no more

The doctor is in and will see you now

You, I, are free to the embrace the ancient presence, of self

Mercy has no name; I have given it hope, life again

I live, standing upon my bed!