They are the same size, with pink boots and similar expressions, acting grown up, like friends who consult before deciding what to wear. The muddled road, bright strip of sunshine, variegated shades down the street, a taste of blue Caribbean sky, is not a suburb or equestrian center. Tomorrow he’ll take her to school before pulling a wagon full of goods to market. Her gaze is serious, eyes focused, unsparing and unspoiled. The fondness will wane the way her coveted boots are outgrown, handed down. Her first pony is every child’s fantasy, but she is just as happy not living in a virtual world.

From Cuba: An Adventure in Image and Word, Paintings by Peggy McGivern and verse by Peter Stravlo. Opening reception Friday, May 16th, 5-8pm, Abend Gallery, Colfax and York, Denver