Blind Horse - Norman MacCaig

**Master** · 13-03-2008, 03:40 AM

He snuffles towards
pouches of water in the grass
and doesn't drink
when he finds them.

He twitches listlessly
at sappy grass stems and stands
stone still, his hanging head
caricatured with a scribble
of green whiskers.

Sometimes that head swings high,
ears cock - and he stares
down a long sound,
he stares and whinnies
for what never comes.

His eyes never close,
not in the heat of the day
when his leather lip droops and
he wears blinkers of flies.

At any time of the night
you hear him in his dark field
stamp the groung, stamp
the world down, waiting impatiently
for the light to break

This poem concentrate on three basic themes: Disability, Human neglection of animals and Despair.
The imagery used in this poem reflects the poor condition of the horse and the field he lives in. MacCaig also tells that every living thing has got feelings and emotions, he tells that the horse "stamp the ground" when he gets frustrated of the darkness that surrounds him. he's got no choice but to live in this darkness till the day he dies