There Was Poem by Deepak Manchanda of Delhi

There was vast open space
Below the dark blue cloudless sky
There was
The rolling pasture and gentle streams
With the soft green grass over the moist brown earth
There were wild, zig-zagging gallops
Black mane and tail flowing in the wind
There were gentle trots and graceful jumps
Rippling muscles and velvet black
Steaming nostrils and shining big eyes

There was
The golden warmth of hay
And the tender glow of Motherly love
There was the good life to live - to be good

There was
Kind and gentle Squire Gordon
Grooms Joe and James, ever caring
There were the whoops of running wild
With Ginger, Merrylegs and Sir Oliver
There was

Then
Suddenly a change of time
A new life pulled by a rein
An accident
A new master - tough and rough

There was
Cheerful Ginger no more
To exchange passing nods
There were
Tears - and a hard job to do

In the endless gloom - then
There happened
A sudden joy
A flood of happy memories
There was again
The caring love of Joe Green

But there could never be
Caring, happiness and joyful abandon
Ever again - that was
Black Beauty




With apologies to the original Black Beauty by Anna Sewell,1877