Left Behind

State of Mind

The Weekly Photo Challenge is called State of Mind. “This week, let your inner world and the outside one converge in a photo.” “Every photo we take says something about our emotions at the moment of taking it. So this week, share an image where you see a particularly strong connection between what we see and what you felt as you pressed that shutter button on your camera or phone.”

This photo doesn’t have to do with how I felt when I pressed the shutter button. At the time, I was thrilled to find an interesting subject for a photo as well as something for a macro shot.

As I have looked at it numerous times since then it has taken on a much, much deeper meaning and significance. These are hairs from my favorite mare, probably tail hairs since horses like to scratch their butts on things. It’s a difficult place to reach for them to scratch, as you can imagine, so they find things to use for that purpose. Unfortunately hairs get caught and pulled out. It doesn’t hurt, even though these are big strong hairs. She was completely black and an Arabian. Black Arabians used to be more rare than they are now.

Left Behind. She is not with me anymore. I lost her to a condition called Founder, or Laminitis  (lam-un-eye-tis) which affects the feet of a horse to the point that they can’t walk. Even though it’s been 4 or 5 years ago, I still get choked up thinking about it.

She left these hairs behind, in the fence. They cascade, fan out and turn in an artsy sort of way. Which you wouldn’t notice if they weren’t captured in a photo to study. Every time I look at this photo, I see the grace and flow. I think about her and her supremely lovely personality. I think about how these hairs were just left hanging there without a care. That some birds will probably find them and use them for their nests. IF they can pull them out of the fence. They’re in there pretty tightly.

This is a similar, related photo taken the same day. But this one is of the hairs from my grey mare. It evokes a different feeling, because as far as I know, she is still alive and well. There is some sadness attached though. I sold her because I didn’t want her to be alone without her lifelong friend. I miss them both terribly of course.

So both of these photos leave behind memories and feelings of the past. They are sad and glorious all at the same time. And I’m still thrilled to have taken them.