Grasp the dirty, chipped white metal with a wide grip
Put one foot up on the bar, swing the other over, slide the first over the bar
And lean back, bending until your arms can barely reach.
It feels funny to be inverted, to be upside down to almost meet the spiny sky of green grass.
Your arms already ache a little with that taut feeling of stretching and supporting your weight
And the blood is beginning to rush to your head
But you can and do perform this exercise several times a day.
It’s exciting changing the way you understand the grass and the sky,
the smell of dirt and pollen
How you change the way you feel
pushing your boundaries and trying something novel
And when you can no longer bear the bass thudding of blood pounding in your ears
and your arms become too weak,
do you cry?
Of course not.
Sliding the bar from the crook of your knees to the balls of your feet
You push off hard
Twisting backwards with deft movements and lithe limbs
Landing triumphantly with a thud and a smile splashed across your face.
It takes some practice, but the memory of this is enough.
