by Hugh MacDonald
The year they built the house
on McGill Avenue
Mother kept house
on her father-in-law's farm
in Donaldston
kept house for two men
and a pair of baby boys
while Dad drove twenty miles
to teach in town
and Grampy pulled weeds in potato fields
and hoed turnips and kale
One day Grampa Jimmy
lent his mare to Joe McQuaid
though he seldom broke the pair
left Satan the fierce stallion
alone in his stall in the barn
the stud horse went mad that day
destroyed his stall
smashed his say into the yard
frothing at the mouth
he crushed a chicken under a large hoof
and sent the others squawking into the coop
My brother cried in the brown leather carriage
and I danced in the dust beside him
while that devil of a broken-hearted horse
circled us in thundering fury.
Mother faced that angered brute
with empty hands and piercing voice
sent him running up the red dirt road
she hurried us inside
rocked us on knee and lap
crying softly
while supper burned on the stove
Copyright © 1996 Hugh MacDonald
Used with permisson of the author.
From Looking for Mother, by Hugh MacDonald.
Windsor, Ontario, Canada: Black Moss Press, 1995.
(Dist. by Firefly Books, Ltd. Sparks Ave.,
Willowdale, Ontario M2H2S4
ISBN 0-88753-259-4 ISBN 0-88753-255-1 $14.95)
Email Hugh at hughmac@cycor.ca
Hugh's Home Address:
Hollow Pine Cottage, Robertson Road,
Montague RR#5 PEI Canada C0A 1R0.
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