When Sarah was a young teenager in Maleny, Queensland, in the 1940s, her elderly neighbour gave her a spirited horse she didn’t have time to train or care for. Sarah called her Dawn. She rode her at every opportunity and loved and cared for her more than anything that she had ever loved before. Dawn was Sarah’s escape from her strict family religion, which dictated every decision in her family life. When Sarah turned 15, she had to move to Brisbane to study and work while living with a host family, which meant saying goodbye to her family, friends, her beloved horse, and everything familiar. Beverley Joy
Book Excerpt – The Wilted Rose Part 1 – The Rose Bud
‘I’m nervous, Viv. I’ve never been to the city, I guess it’s all just sinking in now. It’s real, but it’s hard to believe.’…
A gentle breeze swept through the grass in captivating visual waves as Sarah rode Dawn through the pastures. Thin clouds scattered across the blue sky, and the Blackall Ranges reached up out of the earth to meet them.
Sarah rode Dawn up the slope of the hill, stopping at the top and looking down over the farmland below. Old rusty windmills stood tall in the paddocks, the breeze slowly pushing their creaky blades around. The sun was falling in the sky and hit the horizon with golden brilliance. Sarah lent down and rested her head on the back of Dawn’s neck, her tears trickling from her cheek onto Dawn’s main. Their time together was coming to an end.
‘I love you, Dawn,’ she whispered. ‘I always will, I will never, ever forget you. I will come and see you, I promise. Wherever I am, I will always have a part of you in my heart.’
To be continued…
Kate Kelsen Author © All Rights Reserved
Image by Anja-#pray for ukraine# #helping hands# stop the war from Pixabay
Simply Story Poetry 
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