On her birthday, a girl meets a horse for the first time.
Her father nudges the drawing toward him, his face falling briefly sad, before smiling at her. He loosens his tie and sits next to her. “You should go. The horses want to see you. They’ve been waiting all day for you. I just know it.” He smooths her hair as he looks down at the book cracked on its spine.
“How do you know?” she asks, sliding her wrists under her shirt.
“You’ll have to find out when you’re there.”
William Auten – “Names of Horses”
“Names of Horses” is now available on Substack. Enjoy and please spread the word.