No Ice Skating

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