The Warrior of Siberia

6.4.98

You find me as I died
My horse fell under me
Their horses hooves came down
I died complete

They slashed my stomach red
My new skin coat turned red
Their horses hooves came down
and finished me

When they had ridden off
my kinsmen rode to me
Their horses hooves had killed
our overlord

From finest strength and might
from thirty years of life
their horses hooves came down
to beat away

My body frozen still
My horse protecting me
Their horses hooves had brought
the Afterlife

My two red braids fall down
below my woollen cap
Their horses hooves stayed off
my leather boots

Three thousand years or more
my elk tattoo still fine
Their horses hooves gave me
this Afterlife

You found my arrows and
my bow my axe my knife
my horse's harness fine
with wooden boss

My griffins and my stags
Their coverings of gold
My horse in finest garb
to honour me

You found my frozen place
My tomb below the ground
Their horses hooves and mine
still echo yet

My guardian horse with me
The grief my sister felt
Their horses hooves still pound
the centuries

In this strange Afterlife
I lie exposed to view
Their horses hooves gave you
my history

I rode across the world
From Scythia to here
Their horses hooves and mine
wore tracks away

To China in the East
and back to die below
their horses hooves which pound
which pound me still

I lived in times of wealth
The world was mine to cross
and horses hooves still pass
where I once rode

My sheep are herded on
My camels carry still
My horses follow trails
which I once took

Don't think your life the best
Mine was the best of all
My horses hooves picked round
a world I knew

copyright 1998 Charlotte Peters Rock
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