30 Poems in 30 Days - Day 5

What Goes Up!

“Come on!” my friend urged
“Let’s go skate around Lake Worth.”
My little voice was yelling no! but
my need to accept the challenge

won out and logic took a back
seat that day. Off we headed,
rented skates and soon were
enjoying the warm sunny day

skating around Lake Worth.
Ah, but soon my friend had
another brilliant plan!
“Let’s skate up the hill!”

so up we went. Once again
I pushed that little voice back
and ignored the thoughts of
this is really dumb!

As we reached the crest
of the hill the little voice
was screaming at me now
and I was screaming back

As we careened back DOWN
the hill! At the bottom awaited
and unexpected and unwanted
sight. Railroad tracks! Duh!

My friend, the athlete, jumped
the tracks and looked back to
encourage me to do the same.
Not as lucky my skates caught

and down I went! As a child I had
my share of scraped knees and elbows
but at thirty-four somehow the pain
was more and the scrapes not

quite as cute and endearing.
I limped back to the skate rental
handed in my skates and ignored
stares and giggles of other skaters.

The next weekend when my friend
called to ask if I wanted to go
water skiing with her.I hung up
the phone and went back to bed!