A poem by Sandy Wardrop

Inspired by Nene Park

If I were to tell you the tale of a horse
Whose kick could knock a train off course
Who leapt so high she could reach the stars
And run faster than a thousand racing cars
I don’t think you’d believe me

Yet in a snowy field
Not too long back
While sheep went "Mehh" and ducks went "quack"
A lone shire horse gave out a “neigh”
And a damp soft shape went FLOMP in the hay

Two brown ears
Two letterbox eyes
(That, when they stared,
Seemed to grow in size)
But most strange of all
For any to see
Was a crest on her chest
With a big letter P

“The prophecy!” an owl cried with a hoot
And fluttered to the stable with a feathery swoop
“The one foretold in tales of old!”
“Our hero is born - her name? Power Foal!”

Now across the land, from there to here
No one in trouble shall have to fear
For here's a super hero horse
Whose kick can knock a train off course 
Who leaps so high she can reach the stars
And runs faster than a thousand racing cars
This super horse who'll save our souls
She's brave! She's strong! She is - POWER FOAL!

Help - an accident down by the quarry!
The foreman is stuck fast under a lorry!
But with a heave on a rope in Power Foal’s teeth
The Foreman’s back up - phew, what a relief!

An eagle has carried away Robbie the Rabbit!
He didn't look up (it's such a bad habit)
Fret not, for with a leap and a bound
The eagle is spooked - and Robbie’s back on the ground

Oh no! Someone has robbed the café!
Who will catch them? They’re getting away!
But their car's no match for Power Foal’s hooves 
In a flash the horse has caught everything that moves

Then across the land, from there to here
Everyone gives out a cheer
For their super hero horse
Whose kick can knock a train off course 
Who leaps so high she can reach the stars
And runs faster than a thousand racing cars
This super horse who'll save our souls
She's brave! She's strong! She is - POWER FOAL!

Yet sometimes creatures can possess
The propensity to become jealous
And that’s why one other horse began,
With his brothers, to devise a nefarious plan

“That foal is giving us a bad name”
“She puts our rep as Clydesdales to shame”
We could do what she does - but, better!
There’s one thing for it - c'mon boys let’s go get her

And that night, while Power Foal sleeps in her stable
Three horses creep (as well as they’re able)
Up to the window, shrouded in mist
And sneak something in our foal can’t resist

Now an apple a day keeps the doctor away
And they’re good for an occasional treat (after hay)
But these brothers have done something quite devilish
And filled up the manger with thick apple relish

Power Foal’s young, Power Foal’s innocent
Power Foal thinks apples are magnificent
She gorges down the crunchy-slush jumble
And soon? Her tummy is starting to grumble

Power Foal doubles over in pain
“What’s happening?” she cries, but she whinnies in vain
Soon our hero, with strong chains, is bound
And the brothers drag her somewhere that she won’t be found

“Help! Someone has robbed the Museum!”
“Where’s Power Foal?” 
"I think I can see ‘em"
Then out of the fog comes a horse to assist
Who kicks at the baddies but - what's that?
“You missed!”

As the robbers turn a corner out another horse comes
(But clearly its hooves are all fingers and thumbs)
As it chases after the fast motorcar
Crash! The horse stumbles into a bar

Last chance, the robbers are nearly away
“Could this be our hero - to save the day?”
Eyes closed, the horse tries to stop the car dead
But just feels a light breeze waft, fast, past his head

The brothers look up. The car has escaped
And soon they’re aware of a mob taking shape.
They turn to face the unhappy crowd
“Where is Power Foal? "Bring her back now!”

As the eldest brother prepares to speak
There's the sound of a groan - distant and weak
Round a corner trots our hero - she's not in great form
Loose chains drag behind her, she looks cross, yet forlorn

She approaches the leader, but soon flops down, feeble
As her captor snorts and declaims to the people:
“This is your hero - Was she worth all that fuss?”
“See now? She's finished - your only heroes are us."

But while the crowd is rapt in this verbal flurry
An unlikely creature sneaks off in a hurry
A squirrel pharmacist who’s conceived of the notion
To pop back to her tree and mix up a potion

And as the foal lies with her tongue lolling flaccid
Unnoticed the squirrel slips her an antacid
The Foal’s eyes light up once she’s taken a slurp
Then she stands, sees the brothers, and then comes a loud…

BUUUUUUUUUUURP

Now a simple eructation such as this is expected
When you’ve had a bad tummy and bad stuff needs ejected
And while you or I might make a small pong
From a super horse? The force is something… quite strong

A gale of wind blows forth from her throat
(So fierce it blows the horns off a goat)
And while the brothers, hold on with a squeeze
The strength of their grip is no match for this breeze

They slip from their grip with a flail and a thrash
One moment they’re here - next they’re gone in a flash
And if you look up at night, on the first of the month
It’s said you can still see three stars - in a bunch

What’s more - the blast from Power Foal's lungs
Makes everyone gasp as she shoots out her tongue
It snakes up the hill to where the robbers have risen
Then snaps them right back and slams them in prison

Then across the land, from there to here
Everyone gives out a cheer
For this hero horse who makes villains turn tail
Whose tongue can throw any robber in jail
Whose burps emit from her oesophagus
With the strength of a titanium hippopotamus
For this super horse who saved our souls
"She's brave, she's strong, she is - POWER FOAL!”