Horses

There are horses all around. The flat mountain top rings with the sound of their feet. They gallop, jump fences and run through the woods towards the end of land. They look like mad horses, not reducing their speed as they approach the edge.

Probably they are blind, unable to see that the land ends there. May be the fog of an after-rain evening has blurred their vision. Or have they been given a shot of insane medicine, making them go berserk? There is no time for me to stop them. Still, I yell out their names but they don’t respond. They are approaching the end with great speed. But who am I to stop them anyway?

I am a mere spectator.

And just when they are about to throw their lovely black bodies into the valley, out of nowhere, large white wings appear. Right behind their ears! And they take the flight. Caressing the cool winds with their new found wings, they glide. The sky shines with a crimson light just about to fade. I rub my eyes. Is this a dream? Is this a miracle? I continue to watch. I can’t take my eyes off these beautiful horses flying amongst the clouds. And then suddenly, with a blink of an eye, they are nowhere to be seen. As if the sky swallowed them. I try hard to find them in the clouds spread all over. But there is no sight of those miraculous creatures.

I walk to the edge of the mountain and peep down. And see them writhing in pain.