The Hat of Faded Gold

At first I could not understand the meaning
A battered hat
Glazed in auburn dust
The hat he used to wear
But the firm grip around my head secured me
The palomino brim shading my face
As the sun kissed the edges
I failed to see the importance
But then I see him
Here
I've missed him and this place
I was rendered scrawny by the yards of rugged country
A sunburnt plain
A whisper of winds that assured me it was ok
The slight tremble of the ground beneath me
An accolade to the moving stock
Left leg in the stirrup
A swiftness in the swing
I'm up
As I run my hands through the tough mane of the mare
I'm captivated by the view
The auburn dust cascades back to earth
And he is there beside me
A canter transitions into a gallop
The amber grain washes away beneath us
Bowing under the weight.
The wind playfully threatens me
I grip tighter
But I can feel it
A freedom
I've never felt this before
I've missed him
We slow to a canter
Then a trot
Then a standstill
The cramp in my legs forgotten
The adrenaline running through my veins
Pumping
Loudly
Memories flood back as I take off the battered hat
The hat of faded gold
Now I can finally see
Why he called this place
Home