Water Goat

Lunar New Year fell on Feb 9. Anyone born before that date belongs to the previous year (Horse).

Goats are softly stubborn. They do not argue and they do not push back; they simply continue at their own pace while you hurry around them. Care for texture and atmosphere is close to instinct: how the table is set, how many lamps are on, whether a conversation is flowing. They read as gentle and easy to be around. The quiet part is how they hold a grudge. There is no scorekeeping out loud, just a door nudged a little further closed. They remember which chair you always take and put it back before you arrive.

The earth here is loose, crumbling at one stroke of the hoe; a shower wets the top and is gone by evening. Such people's moods arrive and leave quickly. A dark face a moment ago, then they are laughing at their own expense. They are soft-hearted, agree to most requests, and only afterwards find the strength short. Grudges do not stick, and neither do notes to self. Do not wait for a statement; watch what the hands are busy with.