Young Writers Society

I do not ride. I dance. I do ballet. Swan Lake defines my language and my life. The bend of my body and lithe movements of my arms is how I speak. With my eyes closed and the music playing I am taken to a new world away from Earth. I do not ride, I dance, and yet here I am standing beside  a horse about to perform for thousands. The horse is an Arabian. She is a chestnut of the reddest red and her name is Crown Jewel but I call her Ruby. She is just as lithe and smooth as I am. Her neck is arched and smooth like a swan's. Her head is small but intelligent with eyes pooling with knowledge. Ruby's coat looks like flames bursting with passion. 

Her neck is arched beautifully in a display of pride as she bows on one leg. I dip my head and curtsey back to her. The tune to the NutCracker begins playing signaling our time to start. On my toes on dance in a circle around Ruby. She nods her head and watches me move. When I've completed a full circle I bow and she begins to dance. Her hooves go up and down one at a time in a fluid motion as she prances around me. My left foot is dug in the ground while I pivot to watch her. The tempo picks up and Ruby slips into a canter. Once. Twice. She passes me, head and tail high, at a floating canter. Her hooves kick up small clouds of dust. Ruby tosses her head in a display of arrogance. Her eyes say my very thought. We do not ride. We dance. 

She looks beautiful with the light hitting her coat causing it to glow a vibrant red. Ruby's mane flops up and down with her movement. Sweat glistens like little diamonds all over her coat. Black hooves show like onyx and the white star on her head sparkles brightly.The fifth time she passes me, I skip and jump and run beside her. My legs match her front legs so we look like a girl and horse glued to each other. I casually grasp her mane in my left hand, jump once. Twice. Then I'm on her back. Her movement beneath me is like a rushing river. Power and energy, flow rapidly beneath me. We do not ride. We dance. 

Lying down on her back I brace my palms against her hips. They move back and forth in harmony. If she were a woman she'd be perfect. Her legs stretch out and in. They pull ground to her. She manipulates the Earth to do her bidding.I cross my legs over her neck and arch my back. Ruby is still cantering but I feel her slow down slightly for me. We round a corner at the same time I push up hard into a handstand on her back. Keeping balance I slowly move up from her butt to her back where I stay. The crowd is cheering wildly for us now. I move my legs back behind my head and stand on her back. My arms are spread like eagles wings my smile brighter than the Sun. My hair whips back and forth wildly filling me with excitement. WE DO NOT RIDE.WE DANCE! 

Opening my legs I sit on her withers. Ruby never misses a beat. She knows this song like you know yourself. Her blood pumps fast and hot through her veins beneath me. I can feel Ruby's every breath and every tremor of excited enter. She knows. This is out final act we must do it right. I hook my right arm around her neck and swing beneath her. My legs are tucked beneath her chin as I hold on with my right arm and wave with my left. The crowd is standing and cheering now. A gentle tug on her mane and Ruby slows to a stop. My feet touch the ground and Ruby and I bow simultaneously to the crowd. It is the quiet before the story. Calm. Soft. A gentle hum. Then suddenly the crowd explodes like thunder. Their claps echo through the arena. Our heads are high as roses get thrown down to us. Ruby's coat glistens like jewels and my eyes sparkle with diamonds. 

We do not ride. We dance.