The sights, sounds,
the smell of the horses,
the nervous walk to the gate.
Out of the corner of his eye
he saw the girl with the love in her eyes.

At the gate,
the bell, the run,
the dirt flying, the competition,
the desire to succeed and then
the pain, the hurt in his chest.

The failure, the sorrow, the pain.
The questions!
Will I live? Will I race again?
The vet came, then recovery.
The auction block awaited.

The horse sale.
And out of the corner of his eye,
he saw the girl with love in her eyes.
As he walked too the auction block
he saw the girl begging her parents.

What would become of him?
What was the life ahead of him?
"Going, going, gone!"
Who had he been sold to?
Why did they want him if he had failed?

Then he saw,
out of the corner of his eye,
that girl.
She walked up to him.
She talked to him. She led him home.

That girl took care of the horse,
saved the horse,
rode the horse,
hadn't cared if he had failed.

She loved that horse.