Horseback Riding
I don’t know how to explain
to Charles how I feel about horses
when he shuffles so fast
from one subject to the next.
Finally, I blurt, sometimes I just need
a break from people.
He surprises me and shuts up right away,
so I tell him about the sweet scent
of hay and saddle soap,
how my stomach somersaults
when Honey surges from trot to canter,
and how the wind parts my hair
when I lean into her neck,
whispering, faster, faster.
When I want Honey to slow down,
all I have to do
is give the reins a gentle tug,
and soon we are back to clop-clopping.
Honey and I understand each other
without any words at all.
