One Horse

The Horse That Lives in my chest

Everyone has one horse
living inside their heart.

In the stable, hooves firmly planted,
the horse stands—
as if today might be the day
it runs with all my strength.

On some nights,
it crosses a meadow of tears,
running endlessly on its own,
then returns again
to my chest.

When I place the saddle
with a fluttering heart
on this strong horse,
and ask it
to take me somewhere—
mane flying in the wind,
breath steaming toward the sky,
it snorts once
and leaps clean over the fence,
and runs.

The faster the horse runs,
the lighter its body becomes,
carrying me on its back,
racing toward
the setting sun.

Yesterday’s weight
grows lighter with the sound of hooves,
and when the horse runs
so that I may stay alive,
only then
do my tears finally fall.

Everyone has
one horse
living inside their chest.

*these are my own paintings*