Mounted Police
Mounted Police Officers, Steve and Tom
This last August when the dahlias were growing like Jack's bean stalk, I was writing in our garden in the Fenway, my latest chapter of The Mermaid and the Sailor. I was in the midst of a scene depicting the rehearsal of Lilly Linda Le Strange singing, "Aren't There Any Real Queens in Ptown?" when much to my delight along came two men in uniform-astride mighty steeds. A.D.D. kicked in with a two steep flourish as I hailed the local constabulary and lunged for my camera.
"Good morning officers. May I take your picture?" An innocent request and one that they readily agreed to, reining in their mounts and neatly lining up to face the camera. As I clicked away, the horses munched with relish on our pink cosmos that were growing through the fence. I wondered if these massive beasts (the horses,of course) might be a little Gay themselves-I mean who do you know that will chow-down on a whole bunch of pink cosmos and not even burp? The, officers were as straight as an arrow (my Gaydar hardly had to click in on this occasion) but I tried not to hold that against them as they were cordial and infinitely more stylish than the usual lot slogging by the garden.
Anyway I chatted them up tiring to get a good photo and Officer Steve, on the left, gave me a big grin and a rather dashing pose. Officer Tom, on the right, was a little more circumspect and projected an image of official solemnity equal to his rank and lofty position. We chatted about the horse's hair cuts, cropped short at the mane and tail, and although I asked and was duly told, the horses' names went clear out of my head.
Now, other than using this opportunity to gather photos to amuse you with, I was also tiring to be as friendly and supportive of the cops who "walk the beat." I know these particular Men in Blue had a lot of help pounding the pavement, none-the-less, they are part of our neighborhood and they are getting to know the folks here.
It is my idea that our police officers should be walking the beat in all neighborhoods so that they can get to know and be known by the citizens living there. I think that the police should get out of their tanks and mingle with the people on foot, bike or horse. I believe that an orderly and peaceful neighborhood must be nurtured by the neighbors in concert with the police they know and trust.
Comments