Derby of the Forsaken
In the quietude of the track, the forgotten jockeys stand eternal, where glory and time intertwine...
A Brief Intro
This Villanelle poem emerged from a writing prompt I devised and shared on my X account, anchored by an original photograph from my archives (taken while on a horsetrack tour, during a road trip to Lexington, Kentucky).
Within the structured cadence of this poem lies an exploration of stillness and the echoes of untold stories, inspired by the compelling scene captured in the image.
Here is the link to the original X post that served as the muse:
https://twitter.com/ImMisterEric/status/1776009684907962874
In the shadow of stands, long since bereft,
Where ivy creeps o'er statues in their pride,
The silent jockeys wait, the only life that's left.
Once, thundering hooves the ground had cleft,
Now spectral whispers through the air do glide,
In the shadow of stands, long since bereft.
Eyes of glass, in painted visages deft,
Hide tales of terror, deep inside they hide,
The silent jockeys wait, the only life that's left.
No soul dares disturb their eternal heft,
For curses old and dark here do abide,
In the shadow of stands, long since bereft.
Upon each midnight's chime, a spectral theft,
The jockeys ride on mounts that none provide,
The silent jockeys wait, the only life that's left.
They chase a victory, from life itself cleft,
Where winning means the living can't abide,
In the shadow of stands, long since bereft,
The silent jockeys wait, the only life that's left.
© Eric Montgomery, 05-April-2024
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