Around and around Four horsemen race Childhood is burning to the Sound of Calliope Turn-turn organ grinding monkeys Red jacket shako hat huckster Zebra aflame to giraffe’s bedlam Round and round piazza burning Pick a favorite horse stirrup Mount hands clasped tight to gold Twisted maypole lanced through A knee hugged saddle Mirrored ghosted child laughter Pestilence rides the white War mounts red Famine rides barebacked black Charcoal incinerated Innocence is Death’s ashen rider Arms spread in ethereal wing blaze Brass rings melted courage Kissing booths colorful horse parade Under the circus spin-top Hope burns apoplectic Ride ride the Bergamo Carousel Kaleidoscope turning Italy’s paraiso is burning
Sage Ravenwood is a deaf Cherokee woman residing in upstate NY with her two rescue dogs, Bjarki and Yazhi, and her one-eyed cat Max. She is an outspoken advocate against animal cruelty and domestic violence. Her work can be found in Glass Poetry - Poets Resist, The Temz Review, and Contrary. She also has work forthcoming, Sundress Press anthology - The Familiar Wild: On Dogs and Poetry.