The Horsemen, by D.S. Martin

Four Horsemen, from the Apocalypse, by Albrecht Dürer (Germany). 1498.

The Horsemen

In the depth of a dark dark night   down in the ravine 
the wind comes up & stirs the leaves of the myrtle trees 
where a corral of shadowy horses grow restless
Your approach is barred by a rider on a red horse   his hand 
rests on the hilt of his sheathed sword   You ask   Whose 
are these and why are they here?   His reply   Come and see

But that’s when a thundering voice shouts   Come
& a powerful white stallion pulses from the black woods
Its rider has an arrow notched in his bow   The wreaths blow
back from his hair   & from the garlands in his horse’s mane 
We are the ones sent to roam the earth   the first rider says
to ride to the four compass points & to hold back the wind

Beware the coming of pestilence   he continues   Beware 
the coming of wild beasts that leave a country childless 
the coming of famine   & the one   he adds as his heel 
digs into his horse’s flank   the one who brings a sword
He too rides off as the voice roars   Come   leaving you
alone beneath the breathing myrtles

You walk toward the whinnying herd   & see starlight
shimmering on their coats   brown & black & white
red & dappled   Come   the voice echoes through the ravine
& a black horse & rider race past   almost hitting you
with the scales he carries   He shouts   No bread
no bread   but plenty of distractions for the well fed

You feel drawn to pick up a three-tined pitchfork   & toss hay 
into the corral   The strong horses push against each other 
begin to kick & bite   You offer hay to a skeletal   pale nag 
He doesn’t fight   as you impulsively climb onto his back 
You lift the trident in your hand   With unexpected strength
he surges to a gallop at the sound of the command   Come

D.S. Martin 

This poem first appeared in the journal Three One Six, and in the poet's collection, Poiema (2008, Wipf & Stock), and in the anthology Adam, Eve & the Riders of the Apocalypse.

D.S. Martin is the author of four poetry collections, including Ampersand (2018), & Conspiracy of Light: Poems Inspired by the Legacy of C.S. Lewis (2013) -- both from Cascade Books. He is Poet-in-Residence at McMaster Divinity College, the Series Editor for the Poiema Poetry Series, and has recently edited two anthologies -- The Turning Aside (2016), andAdam, Eve, & the Riders of the Apocalypse (2017). He and his wife live in Brampton, Ontario; they have two adult sons.