BEEN & GONE
God was in his Counting House counting all things good
When Jesus said, give them a Horse and make this understood
It should be clear to all down there, this horse must stand alone
That in their midst was such a beast mankind could never clone
Give him speed, endurance, heart, write him his own laws
And let him tear up Timeform and silence Racing Bores
Lend to them, but briefly; entrust the final page
Fulfil their dreams of greatness, then let him leave the stage
But God said stop; you’re hasty, you’d give mankind the script
If you were not the son I know, I’d say you’ve surely flipped
They’ve seen his speed, his power, his heart, they’ve walked in his dominion
I didn’t grant the people this to rob them of opinion.
Had he won his Derby when I pulled on Greville’s rein
Or triumphed in the Golden State, defiant of my aim
The lifeblood of this sport would dry, debate would be no more
Eclipse, Big Red and Seabird would forsake their claims of Yore
My lesson here, remember this, though trivial it seems
Bar love, our greatest gift to man, a daily chance to dream
‘Who’s the best’ has always been their Holy Grail my Son
And though you side with Dancing Brave, I think we’ll let it run
©Henry Birtles