Four Girls Lost in a Blinding White-Out Blizzard
By Orv Alveshere
LEAVING 1-ROOM SCHOOL WITH HORSES
The country prairies were laden with snow;
There were snowdrifts by the road, ready to blow.
The North Wind combined with many a cloud;
The school teacher’s concerns were stated out loud.
The school teacher sent home, the young boys and girls.
The sky darkened despite the white snowy swirls.
Cracking the reins, the team and snow buggy moves;
My aunts had a trusty team, with eight big hooves.
NORTH WIND BLOWS A BLUSTERY BLUR
Dressed head to toe, in their warm boots and snow suits;
They couldn’t see the team’s heads just their patoots.
Protected from the wind, while sitting inside;
All four were too frightened to even confide,
The youthful driver, or to each other,
They’re heading home to their widowed mother.
Praying that the visibility improves;
Hearing the synchronized sound of the team’s hooves.
A BLEACHED-WHITE BLUR/A DARK WHITE-OUT
This snow buggy was truly a work of art;
A Ford Model ‘A” combination sled-cart
Bolted by their brother, onto a bob-sled;
In the finest blacksmith shop, at their homestead.
They lost their direction, but couldn’t go back
My aunt let the horses go and the reins go slack.
The sound of runners on snow as the sled moves
And hearing the rhythmic sound of the eight hooves.
DARK DURING THE WHITE-OUT/TRUSTY TEAM
Were they still on course or lost they didn’t know
Visibility zero from blinding snow!
God must have watched over, these four young school girls,
Who heard the wind and saw only snow swirls.
Horses have an uncanny gift and are skilled;
They seem to have a ‘homing’ instinct instilled;
This was another instance which it proves.
They stopped and so did the sound of the team’s hooves.
FREE REIN/HOMING PIGEONS OR HOMING HORSES?
Wonder of wonders! They were at the barn yard.
Such a stroke of luck they would not disregard.
The horses went straight to their ‘home’ barn by instinct;
The human’s and horse’s survival were linked.
The storm and fear were severe on the frontier.
Their respect for these two horses sincere.
One more case of heroics I think it proves
The team had homing instincts and eight strong hooves.
My aunt, the source of this story (circa 1935)
Or was it a Model T that my uncle bolted to a bobsled?
© Copyright Orv Alveshere
