'The Donkey' - Response to a Freewrite Prompt

This is my response to a recent freewrite prompt by @mariannewest: “100 year old donkey.” This prompt brought to mind the Biblical story of the donkey who is said to have carried a heavily pregnant Mary to a place where she could safely give birth to Jesus. When I was in school, we used to sing about him and the plight he endured, trudging through a hot and dusty land, carrying ‘his precious load.’

So I’ve made up a little poem about the journey the donkey is said to have taken, written from his perspective! He’s a sassy, grumpy old man who is deeply unimpressed by the job he’s found himself having to do – I love it. 😂

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Dried tufts of grass
Heat-encrusted ground
Blinding light
The rust
The dust
Mile after mile
Step after step

And time
Running like the sand
That beats against my brow
My legs
My eyes
Mile after mile
Step after step

My load is precious
So they say.

But they don’t know
How much they weigh.

Image Source: Disney