On wheels, on ice

When I learned

how to skate

and ride a bike,

one went fast,

one took time.

In childhood days

I yearned to glide

like the mouse at a show

in the city one night.

I have watched my brothers

swivel through streets,

wishing I could join them

instead of sitting at the backseat.

First, I was taught to ride a bike

in which many tried to teach me.

In any case, I was always falling down.

Both of my legs sustained a lot

of bruises and injuries.

From then on, mother forbade me

to mount another bike.

Thinking I would be safe

and would no longer be scarred.

It wasn’t until later

in a broken down bike,

when I was on my own

poised on top of a slope,

I lifted my feet off the ground.

Counted the seconds

‘til I moved forward

without ever falling down.

It wasn’t long before

I could push the pedals

One by one.

Skating, on the other hand,

was taught seasons after I grew.

This time though, I attempted

to try something new.

I tried to teach myself

based on the books and pictures I knew.

Alas! After two lapses groping

on the sides of the rink,

I finally called in a coach to assist.

Holding my hands, she held me towards

the center of the ring

and taught me to march ahead,

find the balance from within.

When I finally took a stance,

only then did she show me

how gliding was done.

With feet not too far apart,

slide in opposite direction

one by one.

The day I learned how to bike

and glide a little bit gracefully on ice,

years have passed in between.

But both speak of the same need

for balance, for continuity.

Our youth may have called for some self-efficacy

but to grow is to need others in this journey.

How we can be dependent on one another

yet at times need to be alone on our own!