The Cavalry

Under cover of the stars in July

  a farmer arrived with seven

huge Appaloosas snorting

on the lawn of the White House.

  One was wild bucking against

the ropes and the wide net

pinning its wings down and

  Lincoln smiled marveling

at what some sugared oats

and Vermont grass had made

  of these horses leaping against

the bindings. Cavalry, cavalry

said the man, imagine your new

  cavalry running through the sky.

Lincoln ran his hand along

the feathers stiff as shingles,

  soft as a lady’s arm and the man

motioned for him to climb on

and when he was situated,

  holding tight, the farmer cut

loose the netting and watched

the president laugh as the creature

  bucked hard and jumped in the air.

The Department of War bought all

of the horses which were shot from

  the sky one at a time over Sharpsburg

falling into the houses like bombs.