At the crack of thunder a handsome young colt took flight
down the alpine spine
he dashed and crashed through alpine scrub
until he had arrived
in the sheltered valley amongst his mob 
that gave him comfort and respite
from the raging storm that crowned the mountain
turning day into night

his tremor settled as he sidled up to his grazing mother 
the elder mare
she turned her head to see the sweat on his flanks
the rolling eyes of fear
she nuzzled licked and settled him 
with a maternal stare
curious young Brumbies wander alone all to often 
with reckless care

and all to often intelligently they navigate and interrogate 
the delicate high country
strong and predator free they browse moss fields and trees
leaving only debris
as well the large wild Brumby mobs roam freely about as if 
the place were theirs to own
they churn the creeks and chop the wafer thin soil
to its rocky bones

the wild horses of the Australian bush are part 
of history myth and legend
but their introduced arrival on colonial fleets
often goes unmentioned
noble creatures of the northern hemisphere they cast 
dark highborn shadows 
across native southern habitats their hard hooves and heavy weights 
disrupt natural indigenous flows

Today Dora asked we poets to write to a general prompt about horses. She included several remarkable sample poems you might like to read here https://dversepoets.com/2024/07/23/poetics-running-with-horses/ I chose to write about our local Australian wild horses, Brumbies. As an introduced species, Brumbies are controversial, both celebrated and appreciated. I hope to have developed the reasons why in my poem.