'My Golden Sunburst' was his name -
A noble stallion bold and grand.
Swift sire of many colts of fame,
His shining coat, a special brand.

Upon strong, muscled legs he danced.
He galloped fast as western gale.
How gracefully he reared and pranced,
With flying mane and swishing tail!

I was a youngster way back then,
No more than ten or twelve, at best,
When watching Sunburst in his pen,
He wildly romped with fervent zest.

He wanted out to storm about.
He wished to lead his lively herd,
To be their king, establish clout,
But by a fence, he was deterred.

Sometimes he pawed the earth with zeal,
A frenzied look upon his face.
His isolation I could feel,
I sensed it in his nervous pace.

I wanted to unlatch the gate,
To let him out and set him free.
But if I did, I knew my fate
A rude word and sharp swat would be.

I longed to comfort that poor horse,
Relieve his stress and ease his pain.
I hoped that I could change his course,
But he ignored me with disdain.

Across the road, not far away,
A lovely meadow could be seen,
Where tall grass grew on summer day,
As compliment to country scene.

I hurried there and picked grass till
My arms were full, then I went back
To see if Sunburst had the will
To feast upon this tasty snack.

He eyed me, snorted, sniffed the air,
Then edged away and circled round.
I left the green grass lying there
Inside his pen on hard, dry ground.

He had fine oats and lots of hay
To munch on when he felt the urge,
But no green grass had come his way -
No prairie wool on which to splurge.

The first beginnings of a bond
Began to grow right then and there.
It blossomed soon and went beyond
Aquaintanceship to friendship rare.

It took a while to gain the trust
Of this big, flashy, equine beast.
To reach his heart, I knew I must,
Provide for him a daily feast.

By Summer's end, that horse would run
To me when e're I called his name.
His confidence I'd wooed and won,
For this indeed, had been my aim.

The cowboys, there upon the ranch,
Were proud of me and quite amazed
A child so young had grasped the chance
To change a feisty stallion's gaze.

Instead of cold, defiant stare,
His eyes now shone with deep respect.
There was no longer sultry glare
Or trace of anger to detect.

And now within my heart I keep
These thoughts, I will not let them go.
I dream of Sunburst when I sleep...
Recalling him sets me aglow.

He'll always be the horse I love.
If there's a place where stallions stay,
A happy horse heav'n up above,
I'm sure my friend is there today.