No ice skating
Watching the "Winter" Olympics together
The excitement and beauty in Italy
The shimmering snow, ice, and outfits, beautiful
ice-skating, dancing and feats of grandeur on so thin blades
Walking together, she picks up a stick and asked me too as well
Her shimmering coat and crocheted, gifted hat
-warm and the colors of the Olympics
We walked to the lake, iced over by the cold, cold winter
I tried to explain "no ice-skating"
you could see the dreaming in her eyes
She asked me to throw ice chunks onto the lake
Her eyes brighten as she watched as they skid across
First the thud, the echo under the ice, and the scattering chunks
slowly coming to rest
New excitement
A gray fox walks across the ice while we look across the vast frozen waters
Large cracks freshly frozen again
The fox walks briskly on the frozen waters and did not heed the sign.
Glad she's still dreaming, the silent moment, the look in her eyes
"No Ice Skating " does not register in her beautiful mind
Does not diminish her imagination, hopes, and dreams
And Winter, winter in our arms resting, dreaming
About this poem: No Ice Skating is a poem about a walk with our granddaughter Maude after watching the Winter Olympic figure skating. She is so alive and inquisitive on many aspects of life. Sticks and ice chunks along the way capture her attention as well as the path along the frozen lake. She notices the sparrows and squirrels in the woods near the lake and the lone fox brisky crossing the lake. I notice the No Ice Skating sign near the lake and see her still head and fixed intense eyes looking. It's the silent moments seeing her look with wonder at all the newness of the day. We also think fondly about the joy of this winter and her lovely sister, Winter, who we will gladly greet on returning home sweet home.
- Joe Holuta
