balance is a skill learned
 

like riding a bicycle
some utilize training wheels
some take the more difficult path
of try and fail
 

scabby knees and palms
were badges of the effort
you had taken the risk
to master, its bliss
 

euphoria was felt
gliding down the path
once its knowledge unlocked
like a rite of passage
 

and yet, even with mastery
hidden hazards of pot holes
curbs, weather, steep inclines
fast downhills, blind spots
inattention, or mechanical demise
of locked brakes, flat tires, or
slipped chain could tumble
one over the handle bars
resurfacing those scars and bruises again
 

so you curse the bike, and the outer world
you curse yourself for being stupid
looking around embarrassed that someone
has witnessed the ungraceful fall
glimpsing snickers of the indifferent
amused at your blood
secretly hoping some stranger
would show compassion
with assurance you’ll be fine
while in your mind fearing
the wrath that awaits down the road
 

the impatient cruelty
of those entrusted
to nurture your development
glaring because you’ve
ruined their day
with your childish display
 

wimpering alone, where
was the love, the gentle caress
the encouraging words
you so desperately needed
 

while their lightening flashes
and thunder roars
condemning you further
as a vent for their own pain
 

and yet, somewhere inside
you escape to that moment
how glorious it had felt
gliding with the breeze
 

and anxiously anticipated
doing it again, enduring
the scrub brush on the opened wound
and icy stare of punishment
 

because you know…
inside of you was
confidence and strength
balancing you on the way