Buffalo Roam

Buffalo Roam

The beast, nostrils flaring, trotted toward her
His hot breath matching his pace
Froth dripping from his lips.
He stopped and bowed to her, his Queen
And sniffed her for her scent
His hot breath made her soft petals flutter
Yet she stood her ground
Firmly planted on the other side of the fence.

He pressed against the taunt steel wires between them
Hardly noticing the barbs that pressed against his fur
The fence posts held against his weight
The wires screeched and stretched
Around his massive head
Like Christ’s Crown of Thorns.

In the distance a roar approached  
In a swirling dust cloud
Along a windy road
The beast relented
Stepped back
And turned toward the menace

The roar receded to a hum
The dust cloud overflowing through the gate and dissipating
The gate clanged open, then clanged shut
Reverberating in the wires between them
First, second, third the engine revved toward them
The dust cloud chasing a helmeted stranger atop his steed

This adversary made his way toward her
Along the fence’s edge,
Then stopped at the sight of her beauty.
He looked across the fence at the beast on the other side
The face of his helmet reflecting the sun, blinding the beast.
He stooped down, plucked the flower
Threw it at the beast and with a roar turned back toward the road
The beast retreated to his fate and that of his lost Queen.