Moments

I lay in the grass, one leg stretched out and one slightly crooked. My feet, bare of shoes but comforted by socks, pointed up and out to the sky. One of my arms folded in underneath my head of hair, soft and left untouched for today. Up, reaching toward the bright blue, was my right arm and hand. The fingers curved slightly to the calm of the day and the tiny hairs on my arm reached out to catch the sunlight. A smile brushed my face at nothing but the beauty of what little I could see, of a white arm reaching up to a bright blue sky in a glorious light. There is nothing more freeing of a moment that only takes a breath but lasts an eternity.

A warm breath was let out on my neck. Each skin cell and each hair jumped for the opportunity at a piece of the friendly warmth. I laughed at the days of others, wondering why their days couldn't be so wonderful as to include some magic such as this. I turned my face to the side so that I could watch my curving fingers reach toward her face and stroke her jaw line. She brought her head lower to the ground,  closer to my face and smile. Amber eyes sparkled at me, completely captured in the moment. A breath of wind brushed both of our faces and each of us closed our eyes softly for a moment in pure joy. The symphonies of the world are far greater than any orchestra could create.


Those are two moments that I would like to share from the last couple of days. I wonder at other people sometimes, knowing that they don't feel the same way I do about small things like that- but still wonder how they get through the day.

Saturday felt so nice, very warm and slightly breezy. I enjoyed every moment of the seven hours that I spent with the horses. The only time I haltered them was to take them in the barn to eat their grain- for the rest of the time, I played with them, spent undemanding time with them, and cleaned some of the poop out of their pasture.

The rhythm of the pitchfork scooping, lifting, and tossing the poop into the wheelbarrow, which met each other with a soft thud, had become very soothing. I was thinking about a million things but with this extremely soft energy as if I was only thinking a single thought, if not less than that. I turned at the sound of a large "huff" and a soft thud, only to see that Hope was peacefully resting not seven feet away from me. A couple hours earlier she had tensed even at my approach. I softly watched this once fiery chestnut mare lay on the earth, in a completely vulnerable spot but very trusting that I would not hurt her. I decided that since the other horses were standing, it must be safe for me to rest as well... So the next thing I know, I was taking the same huff of a horse and sitting in my halfway cross-legged fashion on the ground. Before I knew it I had half fallen asleep in the sunshine. The warmth of the day and the slight breeze playing with my bangs and brushing against my face was enough to loll anyone into a peaceful sleep. After a long time, I heaved myself up and my feet began to take steps toward the water trough. I paused at the edge of it to bend down and make trails with my fingers in the clear liquid. Two of my fingers dipped into its refreshing coolness, and I wondered if I should not just submerge myself in the water. The thought made me laugh at myself- here I was in January wondering whether or not I should climb into a water trough. After a few moments, I turned slowly and began to walk towards the log which happened to be just a foot or so away from Hope. Upon reaching it I sat down and let my legs stretch out. I bent over slightly and let myself enjoy a different angle of sunlight and a different type of rest- a much lighter one, not quite half asleep but definitely very restful. Hope had only acknowledged me by a slow turn of one ear and a slight, soft look before going back to her previous position. Her nose rested upon the earth, eyes three quarters of the way closed. Her ears were in a bent position, completely drained of stiffness. I watched her for a moment, this extremely soft creature and knew that some day we would be one. It would only take time.


Today, I did spend a couple hours with the horses in the morning but then went on to watch five hours of the old Level 2 Blue DVD set. My mom and I enjoyed watching it together, filling ourselves up with knowledge, and stopping to have deep conversations in between. Afterwards I did go back out to see the horses again before tending to them for the night. Every day that I spend with them, no matter how much I do, I think that all of us enjoy it.