sixteen and
on top of the world
or at least on top of
my
world
running track
I was our number one miler
speedy Gonzales well speedy enough
for 1977
at a meet
needed points big regional thing
coach throws me in
hurdles
long jump
and high jump
alright fine I’m a team player
so when events are called I check in
for the points after all
hurdles were a joke, but I survived
with only one banged up knee
came in around last
long jump was a surprise took third
all behind my own team members
but the high jump was another story
somehow I got into this challenge
with my best friend
who regularly jumped something like
five and a half feet
and after the rest of the field eliminated themselves
and it was just her and I
she says
what your done
what you gonna give up
and that about
pissed me off
so the grudge match began
now keep in mind that I was all of 5 foot 2 inches
weighed in no more than 85 pounds
and she
was closing in on something like 6 foot
and really truly had a boys body
a quirk of testosterone kinda of thing
could spit better than anyone I ever met
so here we are at 4 feet something
and she’s laughing at me
and then I’m up and over
and that shuts her up
for a minute
raise the bar
and mr point coach comes over
and says
what do we have here
now I don’t want my little miler getting hurt
so
lets just call this deal off ladies
and we both look at him and rub our hands
and
say not on your life
and before we know it
we have us an audience
ohhs and ahhs
and the bars at 5 foot
and maybe it was the pressure
cause I know it was no gimme
but she friggin missed, hits a shoulder
and clank down it goes
first miss you get three I had already lost two
now this was monumental to me
hurling myself over a skinny little bar
sitting up as tall as I was
was beyond my mental capacity to fathom
so I took two dry runs at it
scared off both times
and she looks at me and says
just fly baby just fly
and so I gathered up some kinda courage
from somewheres deep in my gut
and I charged
up
and
over
my butt kissing the bar
and I hear it bounce
and the stadium is quiet
and I watch in slow motion
the bar jiggle
and stay
and then I’m on my feet
punching the sky
screaming like a miler gone mad
because
I never thought I could
and I did
still came in second, for the points and all
but
realized
that
I
can
do
anything
just raise the bar
and fly baby fly