~Donald Wallace, Class of 2027

I step on the ice,
cold.
Winds blow past me,
as classmates skate by.

My blades dance
across the ice.
My skates carve the edges.

While everyone else in the class chats,
I work on my turns.
I don't like being super chatty in class.

Our coach asks me,
What group do you want to be in?
It does not matter,
so I'm told to be in the lower level group.

I like being with calm people.

I am ahead of this group,
but the higher level group is not as calm.
I like being with calm people,
but I want spend more time
on more challenging jumps.

While the rest of my group
starts warming up axel-walk throughs,
The coach tells me,
Do an axel.

I gain speed,
bend,
takeoff,
I spin
like a top
in the air.
A perfect one and a half rotations.

I also work on double salchows.
I feel as though I am stuck.
At the end of the class,
I have not landed one.

I change coaches,
and work with the one teaching
the higher level group.
She tells me I’m a turtle
hiding under its shell.
I loosen my shoulders.
When I try another double salchow,
I see improvement.

After a few close attempts
I land one.
I am happy I know
what I was doing wrong.