The rhythmic thud of the hooves echoes in my ears
Thud thud thud thud
I feel my heart synchronizing itself with the horse
Thud thump thud thump
I dig my heels into the horse’s side
He flicks his head in agreement and with a jolt of power,
he surges forward
I see the colors and shapes around me once so vibrant
and prominent now blurred and meaningless
As the hooves leave the ground I feel a shiver
go up my body
As we reach the jump’s climax, time stops
for a split second
I look at the trees once swaying gently in the breeze
now frozen in place
I look at the birds once chattering to one another
now frozen in mid-song
Stormclouds of worry flood into my head
What if I fall?
What if I hurt myself?
Just as suddenly as it stopped, time resumes
its endless journey
I brace myself for the impact as we, as one,
go tumbling down
I breathe a sigh of relief as nature resumes
its jubilant song
I once again feel his hooves thundering against
the ground
Then it happens all over again …
Grade: 6
Tenlytown
Washington, DC
John Green
To become a writer/poet.
Hillary Clinton