Kasztanka

Warsaw, 1926 — morning parade, the smell of polish and pride. Marshal Piłsudski’s mare stood restless under the white-and-red banners, chestnut coat gleaming, mane braided tight. She’d carried him through wars, uprisings, and speeches, more symbol than horse now. He bought her from a peasant farm, named her “Little Chestnut,” and rode her until her knees went bad. She appeared in photographs, medals, even songs — the Republic embodied in a single animal’s patience. When she died, the soldiers buried her near his villa, draped in flags. The nation sent wreaths. The grave still stands