Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Zero Gravity



An artist's Impression

ABC  WEDNESDAY

Up I go! And up and over!
Floating up in space.
A creature of another world,
Embued with airy grace.
I stretch myself along the ceiling,
Gazing at the floor!
Normal standing, normal sitting?
 Nothing but a bore.
A nudge and I float down again,
With my arms out wide.
I twist, I twirl, I writhe, I squirm;
I push from side to side.
Normal standing, normal sitting?
Nothing but a drag.
*
But oops! Here comes motion sickness!
Where's that paper bag?
*
*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------


I HAD A DREAM!

We used to swim every morning;
Not in an athletic way,
Let it be said!
We swam like two old codgers
Brought up in inland Britain.
Our childhood memories of the sea
Were painted grey.
And chilly.
Swimming-pools
Didn't enter our equation.
On my local Australian beach
Doggy-paddling was my forte.
I was admired
For my cheerful flop and splash.
(Not really!)
But oh the bliss of it!
The green water
Patterned with hexagons.
The blue sky.
The fresh breeze.
The grace
Of a body under-water.
The tingling skin
As we walked home
Under an increasingly ferocious sun.
This was what I dreamed of during English winters!
Not many people
Have dreams come true!
We did.
But, somehow,
As the years have advanced,
And the body has sagged
More and more,
We have let the habit sag too.
We no longer swim.
But the dream
Is still on my doorstep.
A short walk to the sea
And it's all there.
For others.
*

6 comments:

Maude Lynn said...

Zero Gravity cracked me up! What a hoot!

Roger Owen Green said...

I'm sorry the US space shuttle is coming to an end. Yeah, maybe there will be commercial flights someday, but...

ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Tumblewords: said...

There does come a time when swimming is best done by others! :) Zero gravity is a kick!

Hildred said...

love your rhyme on Zero gravity, - and the swimming poem too.

Kay L. Davies said...

A warm ocean would be wonderful.
You had me thinking zero gravity would be wonderful, too, until your poem made me start feeling woozy. I still think I'd like to try it, though!
— K

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

Berowne said...

Zero gravity, a weighty topic. :-)