Mickie Kennedy

Lessons at Dead Broke Farm

Sweaty flannels, riding
trails, Dale’s shoulders
rising and falling
in time with his horse.
I learned to pull hard
on leather reins,
prod my heels into ribs.

On the last day,
Dale made me
help him brush
his gelding—a wall
of flickering muscle.
He could tell
I was nervous,
so he led my hand
to the horse’s flank.
The beast was nervous
too, twitching
under the brush.

It’s alright, Dale said,
pulling a carrot
from his back pocket,
which the horse took
between his teeth.

I was still brushing,
wisps of hair writhing
in stripes of light.
That’s good, Dale said.
I wasn’t sure
if he was speaking
to me or the horse.

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Mickie Kennedy is a gay writer who resides in Baltimore County, Maryland. His work has appeared in POETRY, The Threepenny Review, The Southern Review, The Sun and elsewhere. His first full-length book of poetry, Worth Burning, will be published by Black Lawrence Press in February 2026. Follow him on social media @MickiePoet or his website mickiekennedy.com.