Rope Swing
Courage is sometimes tested in the hesitation rather than the action.
Rope Swing
Roxanne perched upon the highest branch Leaped into the air as she clamped her feet Over the knot at the end of the rope Yelling like an animal she swung Across the ravine, skirting the water And hitting leafy limbs on the other slope She pumped to gain more air Higher and higher swinging further Than any of us cowering on the shore Would ever dare. She led our little band of misfit girls In a West Side Story fantasy Neither queen bees nor wannabes We were the Jets and she was Ice Strolling the hallways before class Keeping to ourselves we challenged no one We were invisible under everyone's radar. After school in the gym we jumped On the trampoline or practiced flips The coach went about her business Smiling secretly as she walked by As long as we didn't break our necks She knew we were building strength. At the girls' picnic, a mob of Soshes Pushed us into a bathroom, dunked Our friend's head in the toilet Claimed they were the Sharks Shoved, smacked, and jeered at us As they taunted our escape. Pinned against the wall Roxanne stood silent, Her face like stone, One wrong move Would ignite their Smoldering rage. We were overwhelmed, confused. These were the upscale girls Power chicks whose beauty opened doors They had the world in the bag Yet had to bring us down. For the rest of the year We gathered in the gym Strolled the hallways Swung on the rope swing The event passed without official notice or shame. Soon after we left those hallways And the gym where we felt safe We dispersed to different lives, lost touch The Jets dissolved along with the Sharks I can still see Roxanne on that rope swing Her courage and calculated risks Her eyes scanning that mob Knowing when to yell like an animal And when to hold steady when cornered.
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"These were the upscale girls, Power chicks whose beauty opened doors. They had the world in the bag Yet had to bring us down." Even after all these many years, I can still put a face and a name on these mean girls from my own school days. Just seeing the word "soshes" lit up a memory. I loved the wisdom expressed in the last two lines. I have often stopped to ask myself, " Is this the hill I want to die on?" Roxanne was smart to choose her battles carefully. Some can't be won. Excellent, Sue!
Oh the humility! It brought back memories of being bullied by a group of mean girls. I was a self-taught victim. I knew how to tolerate shame and cruelty. But I also learned empathy for the underdog. Having been there, I want to be a loving person. I enjoyed your writing.