POEM - Rolling Rebellion

To feel the concrete

Roll beneath me

In easy strides

With all eight wheels

Traveling in dreamy simplicity

I must have been the picture of bliss

As I scooted through the thronging masses

Of down trodden teenage types

Shuffling across the campus

Of the ancient high school

I took it as my responsibility that day

To scatter gleeful sunshine

Here and there along my path

Treating whoever there was

To and eyeful of my neon clad fanny

Dancing by on low cut roller skates

And just the mere sight of me

Cheered even the dreariest of inmates

At Tucson High Magnet School

Manifested in smiles and laughs

Applause and incredulous stares

I had carefully planned this assault

Feeling it my civil duty

In the face of increasing restrictions

To fight against the regime

Strike out against an environment

Where every fun activity

Seemed destined to be banned

So I dragged out my skates

A step backwards

When the whole world

Had turned to embrace skateboards

The lowly roller skate was forgotten

And, therefore, unrestricted

I checked, twice

So when the cranky old accounting teacher

Did a double take on the third floor

And mumbled I’m not sure that’s allowed

I was able to reassure her

With obnoxious confidence

That this was not outlawed

There was no rule against it

And then me and my wheeled shoes

Sauntered off sassily

Enjoying the smooth ride

Down the linoleum clad halls

In the end it was the stairs

All three flights in both buildings

That tested my resolve

But I worked it out

Made friends with the handrails

Used the toe stoppers

And careful patience

Because I wasn’t going to let them beat me

The point had to be made

The struggle must always roll on