Alive

    Standing on a distant field of glorious green, I saw great horses galloping on the plain.  The beat of their hooves was like the noise of thunder on a stormy night.  The gallant beasts, tails and manes flowing in the wind of their own speed, came at a great stride up the small hill I was standing on.  They all flew past me like spirits of great warriors heading into battle.
    They all flew past me, but one.  The last one of the group checked his pace and whinnied as he reached the peak.  Then he trotted towards me.  He was completely black except for a star-shaped spot on his brow, right between his coal black eyes.  He was a strong beast with great limbs and a fire that burned deep within his eyes.
    I stretched my hand out as he came nearer and caressed his noble neck.  He stood proudly and stared at me as I studied his magnificent body.  He was very, very large, but gentle.  I fed him an apple I had with me and turned to leave after studying him for a while.
    I walked down the hill then looked back.  There he stood black against the bright blue sky.  He suddenly reared up and ran down the slope towards me.  Startled, I tried to move out of his way, but he changed his course straight towards me.  He stopped right in front of me looking at me with intelligent eyes and his proud ears standing alert towards me.
    I walked tentatively to his side and rubbed his onyx flanks.  Then, not knowing why, I leaped onto his back.  He reared up, but not in a way that he wanted to throw me off.  He took off towards the west almost flying across the green plain.  The wind pounded in my ears and the blood pulsed in my veins.  I was alive.  I was so very much alive in that glorious rush.
    We ran for a long time.  I say “we” because I felt that I was part of that great being running like the wind across the rolling green plain.  When we finally slowed down, I saw that we were at least six leagues from where we had started.
    Not knowing what to do, I stayed on the glorious horse’s back and stared at the sunset on the distant horizon.  I felt alive at that moment.  Not only breathing and thinking, but alive.  It was as if this was the reason I existed.  I was alive.