Ten Wild Horses

“I’m happily married,” I say. "We’re not together because we have children and a house, but in spite of both of those things.”

A woman moves to Husum so her children can grow up with grass beneath their feet. Over by the soccer fields, an angel wanders around in a hoodie, and on Esther’s playground, the parents gather and eat mud pies. There are deadly spinning roundabouts, interrupted sexual encounters, and unexpected visits from Pakistan. You have to ask yourself whether it’s worth the risk of walking barefoot in the discount supermarket, and where exactly you stand in the great cycle of life. As you approach forty, it becomes perfectly clear: you have a responsibility, even if it isn’t entirely obvious what that responsibility entails. Some dream of opening a pizzeria, while others simply want a steady income. The job applications pile up, the soccer balls keep flying, and the weeping willow sings beneath the sky over Husum.

To be published September 10, 2026.