Each
Horse’s Death Diminishes Me, by Carol Chapman
Speech delivered at Houston Candlelight Vigil, May 10, 2003
Start
with a ringing of bells then
I
dream of horses. Each evening
as the sun softly sets, turning the clouds to trailing glories of orange,
gold, lavender, and crimson I gently kiss my herd goodnight.
I turn and go in, with a last glance at the contented herd as it
moves off toward the cool water in the pond and then goes to graze on the
sweet grass. Each one is
different, as unique as all my fellow Texans are.
Some of us were lucky enough to be born here, others got here as
soon as we could. Some of us
came here for opportunities and horse dreams, others came in agony and
despair. Some of us live the
life of the free, others daily face the reality of being torn from all we
know and love, of watching them march through a door that exudes pain,
moans, finality…watch and wait for our turn.
(pause)
I
see questions, “Who is this we?”
“We
are not animals, not horses, we are humans, slaughter effects only the
animals and we own them, it is our right!”
“Who
is this woman to speak of we?”
“It’s
only other people’s horses they are coming for, her horses are safe.”
“If
she is that concerned let her take care of her own, and leave the rest of
us alone”
“We,
there is no we in this topic”
During
a time of shame, Martin Niemoller wrote:
"They
came for the communists, and I did not speak up because I wasn't a
communist;
They
came for the socialists, and I did not speak up because I was not a
socialist;
They
came for the union leaders, and I did not speak up because I wasn't a
union leader;
They
came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then
they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up for me."
I
say we because if I don’t my horse dreams will be nightmares…bells
will toll instead of ring, the sunset will not be followed by a sunrise,
the grass will grow rank and coarse, there will be no more goodnight
kisses from my babies. And I
will not go gently into this good night, I will rage, rage against the
dying of the light.
It
is another beautiful evening, and I have left my herd to come here and
share the dusk with you. As
we light our candles let us remember why we are here.
Let us memorialize those that have passed on to the gentle slopes
and sweet dreams the other side of the Rainbow. Let
their passing be mourned but let it also serve as a pledge.
After tonight, let all our thoughts be united to say “They came
for our horses and we said No”!
Now
please light your candles and help me remember those that are here in
spirit only, the over 150 that die each day.
I dream horse dreams and each horse that dies takes a little of the
splendor out of my world. Each
horse’s death diminishes me.
The
Tolling Of The Bells
Each
horse's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in horse kind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
Oh,
the bells, bells, bells!
What
a tale their terror tells
Of
Despair!
How
they clang, and clash, and roar!
What
a horror they outpour
A
reading of the last legacy of some who have perished… their remains
consumed, their eyes dimmed, their sole epitaph until now only a
description written on a piece of paper with a dollar sign next to it
A
gelding, 5, quarter horse, shod (bell
tolls once)
A
gelding, 7, quarter horse, no brand (bell tolls once)
A
mare, 9, Bay with white blaze TB with lip tattoo (bell tolls once)
A
gelding, frozen to death in a double decker on the way to Canada, he was
called Popsicle horse in the papers. (Bell
tolls once)
A
mare, 11, pregnant, no brand (bell
tolls once)
A
load of 9, 1 bad, unable to stand (bell
tolls once)
A
yearling, roan, under 500 pounds (bell
tolls once after each horse that follows)
A
Bay TB gelding, 15hh
Sorrel Mustang gelding, 14hh, auction tag #37
A Bay QH filly, 13hh
Sorrel Roan & White Paint filly, 13hh
A Bay QH pony mare, 13hh
Sorrel QH filly, 13hh
A
Bay Mustang gelding, 14hh auction tag #1043
A Bay TB stallion, 16hh
A Bay Mustang gelding, 14hh auction tag #45
A Bay TB gelding, 15hh
A Bay pony gelding, 13hh
Brown QH mare, 14hh
A Bay TB gelding, 16hh
Chestnut TB filly, 14hh
A Bay QH mare, 16hh
A Bay Mustang gelding, 14hh auction tag #51
A
Bay Mustang gelding, 15hh auction tag #1053
Brown Mustang gelding, 14hh auction tag #54
Sorrel QH colt, 13hh
A Bay TB mare, 16hh
A Bay Mustang gelding, 13hh auction tag #57
Grey QH mare 14hh
A Bay QH gelding, 14hh
Brown QH filly, 13hh
A Bay QH gelding, 14hh
Dun QH mare, 14hh
Sorrel
QH stallion, 14hh
Grey
QH gelding, 16hh
A
Bay QH gelding, 14hh
Chestnut
TB mare, 15hh
Sorrel
QH gelding, 14hh
Dun
Paint mare, 15hh
Sorrel
Paint gelding, 15hh
A
Bay QH gelding, 15hh
Sorrel
& white Paint mare, 15hh
Sorrel
QH mare, 15hh
Sorrel
draft gelding, 17hh
Grey
TB mare, 16hh
Sorrel
QH colt, 13hh
Sorrel
QH gelding, 14hh
A
Bay QH mare, 15hh
Sorrel
QH gelding, 14hh
Grey
App gelding, 14hh
Sorrel
QH gelding, 15hh
Sorrel
QH gelding, 14hh
A
Bay QH mare 15hh the "brand" category said, "LD"
Sorrel
QH mare, 14hh
A
Bay App mare, 15hh
A
Bay QH mare, 15hh
Sorrel
QH mare, 16hh
Sorrel
& white Paint mare, 14hh
Sorrel
QH gelding, 15hh
Sorrel
QH gelding, 14hh
Dun
QH colt, 14hhBlack QH colt, 13hh
A
Bay QH colt, 13hh Branded
Paint
colt, 14hh
Sorrel
QH colt, 12hh
A
Bay & white App colt, 13hh
Grey
QH filly, 13hh Branded
Black
QH colt, 13hh
Sorrel
QH colt, 12hh
A
Bay QH filly, 13hh
A
Bay QH filly, 13hh
A
Bay QH mare, 15hh Branded
Sorrel
QH gelding, 14hh Branded
Palomino
gelding, 15hh Branded
Brown
QH gelding, 15hh Branded
A
Bay QH gelding, 15hh Branded
Grey
QH gelding, 15hh Branded
A
Bay QH gelding, 15hh Branded
A
Bay QH mare, 16hh Branded
A
Bay QH gelding, 15hh Branded
Dun
QH mare, 15hh Branded
Black
Mustang gelding, 14hh auction tag #94
Bells
ring slowly three times
“What
is that sound high in the air
Murmur
of maternal lamentation
Who
are those hooded hordes swarming
Over
endless plains, stumbling in cracked earth
Ringed
by the flat horizon only”
Bells
ring slowly three times:
Oh,
the bells, bells, bells!
What
a tale their terror tells
Of
Despair!
How
they clang, and clash, and roar!
What
a horror they outpour
{What
a horror they outpour}
Playing
taps in background
Day is done,
gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the sky.
Horses all, safely rest,
Rescue is near by.
Go to sleep,
peaceful sleep,
Be thee stallion or pretty mare,
Let us keep.
On the land without a care,
Safe in sleep.
Love, good
night, Must thou go,
When the day, And the night
Need thee so?
All is well. Speedeth all
To their rest.
Fades the
light; And afar
Goeth day, And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.
Thanks and
praise, For our days,
'Neath the sun, Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go, This we know,
Rescue is near by.
With apologies to “For Whom
the Bell Tolls” by
John Donne