In A Far Off Summer Poem by Gert Strydom

These are the fields, bushes and trees
where a boy cried heartbroken
in a far off summer,

when the bull
swiped his darling filly
with its horns
while she was drinking
at the trough

and that horse fell twitching
on her back
with her guts ripped out
and she had to be shot
and his older brother
brought the.303 rifle
with only one bullet

and was determined
to take the shot,
but the filly moved her head
and the bullet when up her nose

and there was blood everywhere
while she neighed in pain
and he ran as fast as he could
while weeping
to get some more bullets

and without a word
took the rifle from his older brother
put a bullet in the slot and cocked it
brought the firearm to his shoulder
and took a deep breath
before squeezing the trigger.

His favourite horse was slain
and the pain was great
and almost unbearable for him
and his brother tried to comfort
but there wasn’t anything
that he could do or say
to take that pain away.