Poem A:
If I Ain’t A Gymnast
If I ain’t a gymnast
Someone tell me to stop smelling the chalk.
To stop smelling the sweat
Dripping from my face.
Tell me to stop working my hardest
For a single, untouchable dream
If I ain’t a gymnast
Someone tell me to stop sprinting into the gym,
And seeing heaven.
Tell my eyes not to jump
At the sight of an empty spring floor
Calling my name
Stop my heart from pounding
At the awaiting vault.
I ain’t a gymnast
Please tell me not to take my coaches words
As words to live by
to follow for life
someone tell me not to cringe
at the smack of a teammate hitting the crash mats
again.
If I ain’t a gymnast
Someone tell me to forget the pain
The sacrifices I make
Tell me not to feel the edges of the beam with my pointed foot
Tell me not to ignore the sensation of skin the size of quarters
ripping off my hands
And continuing
Like nothing ever happened
If I ain’t a gymnast
Please tell me bent legs don’t matter
No one is judging
Tell me each event is easy
No strength or effort involved.
Tell me not to freak at the sign of a judge.
Tell me the numbers don’t matter
Cause if I ain’t a gymnast
I don’t have a reason to live
I don’t have a dream to chase
I don’t have an output for emotions
I have wasted many hours in the gym.
Always coming early
And leaving late.
Trying to be the best
Trying to top the rest.
Cause if I ain’t a gymnast
I ain’t me.
- Meg Lavin
Poem B:
A peek at the life of a Gymnast
Full of strivers for perfection
Wanting a perfect ten
Spending everyday in training
All dependant upon
One single mistake.
The smell of chalk and sweat,
Blood and tears.
Sense the hard work
The determination.
The focus.
My world.
Waking up each day
Showing up
At each practice
Coming early
Staying late
Repetition
Again and again.
Hopes
Of toping the rest.
I
Will
Not
Leave.
- Meg Lavin
If I Ain’t A Gymnast
If I ain’t a gymnast
Someone tell me to stop smelling the chalk.
To stop smelling the sweat
Dripping from my face.
Tell me to stop working my hardest
For a single, untouchable dream
If I ain’t a gymnast
Someone tell me to stop sprinting into the gym,
And seeing heaven.
Tell my eyes not to jump
At the sight of an empty spring floor
Calling my name
Stop my heart from pounding
At the awaiting vault.
I ain’t a gymnast
Please tell me not to take my coaches words
As words to live by
to follow for life
someone tell me not to cringe
at the smack of a teammate hitting the crash mats
again.
If I ain’t a gymnast
Someone tell me to forget the pain
The sacrifices I make
Tell me not to feel the edges of the beam with my pointed foot
Tell me not to ignore the sensation of skin the size of quarters
ripping off my hands
And continuing
Like nothing ever happened
If I ain’t a gymnast
Please tell me bent legs don’t matter
No one is judging
Tell me each event is easy
No strength or effort involved.
Tell me not to freak at the sign of a judge.
Tell me the numbers don’t matter
Cause if I ain’t a gymnast
I don’t have a reason to live
I don’t have a dream to chase
I don’t have an output for emotions
I have wasted many hours in the gym.
Always coming early
And leaving late.
Trying to be the best
Trying to top the rest.
Cause if I ain’t a gymnast
I ain’t me.
- Meg Lavin
Poem B:
A peek at the life of a Gymnast
Full of strivers for perfection
Wanting a perfect ten
Spending everyday in training
All dependant upon
One single mistake.
The smell of chalk and sweat,
Blood and tears.
Sense the hard work
The determination.
The focus.
My world.
Waking up each day
Showing up
At each practice
Coming early
Staying late
Repetition
Again and again.
Hopes
Of toping the rest.
I
Will
Not
Leave.
- Meg Lavin
Inspiring and true, and a joy to read.
