My Fox Hunt

Wednesday morning dawned clear and bright, not a worry to be had,

Until my riding teacher came and said in tones quite glad,

A foxhunt is at 5 a.m. up at the mansion high

And did I want to come and ride beneath the bright blue sky?

Sure, I said, why ever not? What could there be to fear?

Or so I thought in safety till my best friend did appear.

"There will be jumps," he told me, in a tone evoking fear,

"You should practice so you don’t fall off" he said, as time drew near.

My level-headedness, it seems, did then completely leave me!

Visions of Mount Everest sprang to mind, with other thoughts that grieved me.

I soon became quite terrified, and almost did not go

But then the thought of what it could be made me stop, just so.

What is it like, I said aloud, to gallop ‘cross a field?

To trot through frosty cornfields, to canter without yield?

Is it exhilarating? Exciting? Frightening? Great?

Or is it as I thought it was, suicide by Jump-Gait?

I said "ok, I’ll tag along" in a slight, uneasy voice.

I loaded my horse into the trailer, and as the others did rejoiced,

I wondered is it really that great? This riding through a field?

I guess I will not know until I canter without yield.

We came upon the mansion grounds, at close to half past five,

At once I mounted my noble steed, who promptly bucked and dived!

I sat quite still and said "whoa boy! Please don’t jump quite so badly!"

And very soon, he stood quite still, and looked about him proudly.

Then suddenly, a golden sound, a horn, as though from heaven

Came to my ears, and then did blow in short bursts, numbered seven.

And we were off to hunt at once, not one of us did retard,

For this would certainly be the day we caught Monsieur Renard!

And we did trot through frozen corn, and gallop o’er the fields,

Did twist and turn through thick woods and brush, and cantered without yield.

And it was exhilarating, exciting, frightening and great,

And I never for a moment thought of suicide by Jump-Gait.

As we returned to the mansion tall, beneath the bright blue sky,

And put away our noble steeds, whose thirst made seas seem dry,

I thought aloud, I knew it was great, although I was quite timid,

And at that moment, in all the world, no one felt as I did

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