Naked Horses Poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

Naked horses

On the prairie, there are many horses, healthy stallions
galloping about impressing the coy mares.
Under a tree, there are not many trees on the grassland
a few ragged horses with unkempt manes and swaybacked
look as if they have been eating weed and not green grass.
As things are in life, they are ignored.
But they have something in common with healthy horses
looking nude; horses need shorts.
Near the cash machine, a broken man sat he was pale
and thin begging for coins; he was blithely ignored and
called names, you see, he was not a lost dog.
I too needed to draw cash; I had seen his eyes too late
for me to ignore him; gave a note of 5 euros it was not
for me to ask what he intended to do.
The man thanked me but luckily didn't lick my face.