Horsewomen

I received this peom in an email about two years ago and have had it posted in my office since then. It is one of my all time favorites. I have been known to pass along this poem to non horsey people, that don't always understand my lifestyle and are sometimes a bit harsh in their judgement of said lifestyle. It's a pretty well known poem so many of you may have already seen it but if not , I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

Woman I will Be
I shall wear diamonds and a wide brimmed straw hat withribbons and flowers on it
And I shall spend my social security on white wine and carrots and sit in the alley of my barn and listen to my horses breathe.
I will sneak out in the middle of a summer's nightand ride the dappled mare across the moonstruck meadow,if my old bones will allow.
And when people come to call, I will smile and nod,as I walk them past the gardens to the barn
And show, instead, the flowers growing therein stalls fresh-lined with straw.
I will shovel and sweat and wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel
And I will be an embarrassment of all who look down on me Who have not yet found the peace in being free
To love a horse as a friend, a friend who waits at midnight hour With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For the Woman I will be when I am old.