Red and Yellow Stallions

The Stories say that in a man's soul
the war rages on

A Red Stallion strains against its tethers
A Yellow pulls in the opposite direction
The integrity of their owner begins to split down the middle
while holding fast to both

Experience is key! Knowledge and pursuit!
cries the Yellow Stallion, shaking its golden mane
Let's go and see! Let's explore!
Too many sights and sounds, too many new touches and smells
to stay in one place

No! cries the Red Stallion, ruby eyes rolling
Passion and roots are more important
Deep abiding love is true
What about lives built in blood, sweat and tears?

And so they argue
day after day
Only quieting down to sleep
and sometimes not even then

Knowledge and Love
The battle ensues

The owner's limbs grow weary of holding on,
wondering tiredly
Should I let go of just one?
Both?
Will the fighting never cease?

Leather snaps inside metal rings
Blood froths on equine mouths

This will rend me in two, he thinks
How can I ride away on one without pining for the other?

The Yellow Stallion will search continuously for new horizons
To see every corner of the Earth, taste every different kiss,
and know every language to know

The Red will go deeper than any have gone
Boundless humility, unconditional love are forever its pursuit
A profound and sweet reunion

At what cost?
he shakes his head
Straps bite into his tiring hands,
blood dripping slowly to Earth

And I ask this man, this Story
how to bear a cross of chronic worry
that you will pick wrong between the two
Surely it's impossible to choose
one half of your soul over the other,
splitting apart one failing human heart

Story, show me the path between!
Prove that there is a middle way
Give evidence of freedom in love,
and a home for every explorer

If I am to survive this life
there must be a way to become united
Straining against myself
limbs fighting, lungs struggling,
feet moving in opposing directions
Make love, make war
Flesh becoming a divine battlefield

An internal refugee to my own indecision
There is no shelter from a self-waged war

Comments

  1. Molli RocketSeptember 9, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    There is a middle. Go out into the world. Take the one that you love with you.

    ReplyDelete

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