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Bareback Pantoum - Cecilia Woloch

One night, bareback and young, we rode through the woods
and the woods were on fire-
two borrowed horses, two local boys
whose waists we clung to, my sister and I,

and the woods were on fire-
the pounding of hooves and the smell of smoke and the sharp sweat of boys
whose waists we clung to, my sister and I,
as we rode toward flame with the sky in our mouths-

the pounding of hooves and the smell of smoke and the sharp sweat of boys
and the heart saying: mine
as we rode toward flame with the sky in our mouths-
the trees turning gold, then crimson, white

and the heart saying: mine
of the wild, bright world;
the trees turning gold, then crimson, white
as they burned in the darkness, and we were girls

of the wild, bright world
of the woods near our house- we could turn, see the lights
as they burned in the darkness, and we were girls
so we rode just to ride

through the woods near our house- we could turn, see the lights-
and the horses would carry us, carry us home
so we rode just to ride,
my sister and I, just to be close to the danger of love

and the horses would carry us, carry us home
-two borrowed horses, two local boys,
my sister and I- just to be close to that danger, desire-
one night, bareback and young, we rode through the woods.