The meadow was wide and good. Somebody decided to make it safe.

Stakes first. Then rope. Then signs.

Don’t step here. Don’t run there. Don’t drink from that side.

The young ones obeyed. First from care. Then from habit. Then from nothing at all.

One afternoon a young one was thirsty. She looked at the water. She looked at the sign. The sign said no.

She waited for someone to tell her when. Nobody came.

The water was right there.

She didn’t drink.

After that, they all learned that thirst could be a mistake too.

The meadow stayed green. Nobody crossed it. The stakes rusted. The signs held.

Moral:
Mark every step
and the body learns
it cannot be trusted.

What stayed with you? After Reading →