Tuesday, June 21, 2005

The Little White Horse

Here is a favorite poem of mine by Elizabeth Goudge. This is from her book (also called "The Little White Horse") that I really enjoyed too. -Erin

The Little White Horse

It was under the white moon that I saw him,
The little white horse, with neck arched high in pride.
Lovely his pride, delicate, no taint of self
Staining the unconscious innocence denied
Knowledge of good and evil, burden of days
Of shame crouched beneath the flail of memory.
No past for you, little white horse, no regret,
No future of fear in this silver forest---
Only the perfect now in the white moon-dappled ride.

A flower-like body fashioned all of light,
For the speed of light, yet momently at rest,
Balanced on the sheer knife-edge of perfection;
Perfection of grass silver upon the crest
Of the hill, before the scythe falls, snow in sun,
Of the shaken human spirit when God speaks
In His still small voice and for a breath of time
All is hushed; gone in a sigh, that perfection,
Leaving the sharp knife-edge turning slowly in the breast.

The raised hoof, the proud poised head, the flowing mane,
The supreme moment of stillness before the flight,
The moment of farewell, of wordless pleading
For remembrance of things lost to earthly sight---
Then the half-turn under the trees, a motion
Fluid as the movement of light on water . . .
Stay, oh stay in the forest, little white horse! . . .
He is lost and gone and now I do not know
If it was a little white horse that I saw,
Or only a moonbeam astray in the silver night.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really liked your poem, Erin.
I haven't read "The Little White Horse" but probably will soon. I liked how the poem described the horse. It was like he was really there.

Sherry said...

I'm glad you enjoyed the poem! Yes you really should read the book.....it has more good descriptions, like the poem.

--Erin

Anonymous said...

Erin,
Thanks to your recomdation, I read "The Little White Horse" and enjoyed it very much. Love the poem.

Elsien Dahle with a smile

Anonymous said...

The Little White Horse. BEST BOOK EVER! U should totally read it. I have the book and have to read the poem out tomorrow! Wish me luck!

You can call me:

SKYSTORM

Anonymous said...

I loved this book and the poem. it makes so much sense and you can compair every bit of it to how we as people are like and striveing for

Haha i cant spell but its true

Anonymous said...

This is my favorite poem I really love the words of uses and the figures of speech it reminds me of water flowing in a stream I have read the book and loved it. I memorized this poem and I love it

Anonymous said...

You can call me river lilly