You won't see poetry in this blog very often, but when you have an award-winning poet who has put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) in tribute to a great horse, I can't resist. So with the permission of James Vasquez of Spokane, Wash., I give you...
Rachel Alexandra
A lass named Rachel, long and tall,
That rarely suffered a defeat,
She came to run though some had doubts
With colts a filly should compete.
She drew the outside post, no horse
From that locale had won the race.
It mattered not to her, it’s run
From start to end in any case.
She broke well from the starting gate,
Was jostled just a bit and then,
With Borel, whip in hand atop,
Proceeded to instruct the men.
She took an outside course ‘longside
Those stalwart males, pride of the fleet.
Her eye was on some open path
For there her destiny she’d meet.
The track was not the best for her,
But Rachel was no diva now.
She scurried past a few and then
The moment came to show them how.
A rider, two, and then the lot,
She flew right past them, mortals all.
They seemed like statues sitting there,
With man and horse about to fall.
Then down the stretch and round the curve,
She left them gasping in her wake.
‘Twas fated that this filly run
The grueling course and honors take.
They tried their best, those storied colts,
But none could keep the pace with her.
Alone she crossed the finish line,
And left the cheering crowd astir.
The Belmont Stakes awaits her now,
Just how she’ll do is God’s mute plan.
Yet Pimlico we’ll not forget
When Rachel Alexandra ran.
Copyright James Vasquez, Spokane, Wash.
James Vasquez was raised in Southern California, the ninth of 10 children born to his Mexican-American parents. A U.S. Army veteran, he made 18 jumps while in the 82nd Airborne Division. He received his PhD in educational psychology and psycholinguistics from UCLA and his MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary. He retired from the University of Washington after serving as a faculty member there for over 25 years.
