Equitatus Recognitio

Obedience the spur
fealty their doom
human honor their burden,
sacrificed upon glory’s throne,
horror and gore their reward

Ah, the romantic dreams
We can see the plumed Stuart
marching around McClellan
with two thousand mounted horse,
the rhythmic clopping hooves,
jangling harness and kit,
Rebel troopers singing
“Jine The Cavalry”
as Sam Sweeney plays the banjo
The horses to perish at Brandy Station,
Trevilion, Yellow Tavern,
and in other rides to glory

Six thousand lay shattered upon the field at Gettysburg,
thirty-three slain under the Rebel Nathan Bedford Forrest,
seventeen Polish Hussars died at Kircholm
with one hundred fifty mounts,
hundreds perished in the mud
with the regal French knights at Agincourt,
the glorious charge of the six hundred
into the Valley of Death
left three hundred sixty two mangled

Magnificent Arabians born on desert sands
The sturdy Percheron, a warhorse bred
Kiowa ponies swift as the prairie breeze
The revered horse of the Mongol
Norman destriers bred to charge
Their hooves and strong backs
carried Genghis Khan across the steppes,
their thundering frightful charge
led Hannibal’s envelopment at Cannae, 
as mounts for the Polish Hussars
they  were hope against Nazi Panzers.
Immortal Crazy Horse yelled,
“What a beautiful day to die”
as the Sioux rode to victory
at the Little Big Horn

Achilles’ steeds Xanthus and Balius
sent down from Olympus
into the land of mortals,
wept at the death of noble Patroclus
and turned their eyes away
from the dismal deeds of mortal men

Alexander’s Bucephalus
carried his master to world conquest
dying in the last battle
to be  buried with honors.
A tribute worthy a human,
worthless to a horse

A wonderful dream
is to see a great celestial pasture,
a place of cool streams
and  shady groves,
some vale within the folds of Olympus
where Pegasus, Xanthus, and Balius
stand proud watch over
the thousands upon thousands
who run, snort, and play
throughout eternity,
their earthly fault
having been faithfulness