Q1: What is your Name?
A1: Kate

Q2: What is your Email Address?
A2:

Q3: Who do you want the poem written for ?
A3: My sister, Karen

Q4: Why do you want the poem written ?
A4: as a gift for Karen who had a horse, named Peanut for 20 years whose time had come to 'ride the trails in the sky'. He was recently put down at 32 years.

Q5: What are the key messages you would like the poem to send ?
A5: Peanut was Karen's first horse. She got him when she was 18 and learned to ride on Peanut. Karen was one of those little girls who fell in love with horses and never fell out of love with them. She had a trunkfull of horse toys. She lovingly called Peanut, 'the world's greatest trail horse.' Peanut was a quarter horse/thoroughbred mix. They spent hours on trail rides, in drill team parades, 4-H scavanger hunts, learning dressage drills, going to numerous competitions and winning many ribbons, going to special schooling events to improve horse and rider communication and dressage drills, learning to pull a racing sulky at Hames and Tugs events, riding on Pacific Ocean beaches, and more hours of practice in the arena. Peanut was faithfully there for Karen, even with people failed her. He was her joyful and trusting four-legged companion. They spent countless hours together perfecting the trust and love between horse and rider. His coat was a chestnut color with a white forehead blaze and white boots. Karen took the very best care of Peanut; she was a good 'horse mom.' Peanut was boarded at Cook's Ranch where he lived for most of his life.

Q6: Do you have any funny, sad, happy, embarrassing or otherwise memorable moments that you would like to share ?
A6: Karen was thrown off Peanut early on in her riding career and received a broken bone for her trouble. She was in a plaster cast for weeks.

She rode with Peanut dressed in a velvet, fur-lined Elizabethan dress made by her mother.

Peanut and Karen were bit players in a local movie. He also participated in a wedding ceremony for a friend of Karen's.

Q7: Do you have any other comments or thoughts ?
A7:

Q8: What style of poem would you prefer ? (Happy, sad, romantic etc.)
A8: a happy farewell to an old friend tone

Q9: Which charity would you like your donation made to ?
A9: breast cancer research

Q10: Choose either the economy, standard, unique, deluxe or combo package.
A10: standard

Trails Across The Sky

Everybody gets to leave this earth, everybody has their final day, and at those times it is so very hard, to know exactly what to say. Because Peanut was part of you, together you built your past, and all journeys they have to end, and one journey is your last. You've always loved your ponies, it has just been a matter of course, and Peanut, simply and proudly said, "was the world's greatest trail horse". He was such a great being, you've spent so much time together, you rode in all types of terrain, and in all types of weather. Peanut was always there for you, even when mere people had let you down, he knew exactly how you were feeling, by your face, your smile or your frown. I can picture you riding the beaches, salt spray flying in your hair, horse and rider in perfect harmony, a wonderful sight, a magical pair. His cinnamon coat shining brightly, with his white boots and forehead blaze, he was such a wonderful and lucky horse, because with you he shared the happiest of days. I know that you loved him so, and you'd built this wonderful trust, but nothing can last forever, ashes to ashes and dust to dust. And I imagine Peanut so vividly, he tosses his head as if to say goodbye, because he's happy and running free, blazing those Trails Across The Sky.

Copyright www.agiftofpoetry.co.uk 2008

Allen Jesson

Comments:

I wouldn't change a word of your first draft--it wonderfully captures my
story of Karen and the life of Peanut. Tears welled when reading it, and he
wasn't even my beloved horse. I'm sure my sister Karen will cherish your
poem.

Regarding publishing the poem, my name and my story on your web-site--you
have my permission with the exception that my last name not be used.

Thank you for sharing your gift for poetry with the world, and for my poem.
I look forward to receiving the finished copies."