This poem discusses the paradox of skating. While physically and mentally challenging, the sport will forever be a vital part of my life.
Feet frigid and fingers frail
head and heart hammering
eyes watering in the wind
bruised body on the brink of blowout.
As my blades slice through the slippery surface
my coach’s disappointed face fills my vision
and the taste of defeat fills my mouth.
Everyday I ask why I do this
why I put myself through the struggle
why I devote my life to the sport.
Yet everyday I’m back
doing it all over again.
Painful to the body yet vital to the soul
the lure of the ice never leaves.
Because the reward of success is like no other;
years of pain are nothing compared
to one day of victory.