The Flying Horse

Occasionally, I spy a red Pegasus on an older gas station, but more frequently I see the logo on diverse items and in various states of neglect displayed as collectibles for sale. I am told that this trademark still adorns some ExxonMobil products. The last time I spotted the mythological horse, I had to learn more.



The Flying Horse


Pegasus,
how did the ad men capture you,
fix you in flight, deem you red,
rework you into an icon of oil and fuel?

You who fought battles to the death
in ancient Greece, brought thunder
and lightening to Zeus at his request,
ranked foremost among his steeds.

You who flew with a mortal on your back
but threw him in his greed. You who
could not be easily reined in.

Were you not paying attention,
lost in old glories, comfortable living
in the past?

Eighty years now
and the wind still carries echoes of anguish
as the lasso of commerce snared you.



Marilyn Aschoff Mellor