The Skate Park at Idlewild
1. The Skate Park
To skate upon his board within his group.
He laughs and suddenly stands up to ride
and with a beer in hand he starts to glide
around the empty pool he makes a loop.
Under the blister of the summer sun
an oak throws shade upon the concrete park.
He speeds to friends and skids to leave a mark
and shares his beer after his gentle run.
The busy half pipe tells a different tale,
to pick up speed and try new rapid tricks
and keep themselves upon their sturdy feet,
to take the chance of bruises with each fail.
Ride until there is smoke under their trucks
and glide with ease upon every feat.
2. The Family
Inside the empty pool the youngest stand.
Some hold their bikes and others hold a board.
Nearby their parents, stand while looking bored.
Youngest feel they are part of something grand.
The older riders treat them with respect,
they never anger when the children sit.
They move around the child instead of quit,
to stop once and help the younger correct.
Some ride from low income housing nearby
or from apartments behind the strip mall.
Their boards escape upon this concrete cloud,
upon the rail reality stands by.
They already know it hurts when you fall.
They have felt enough pain to stand up proud.
3. The Perfect Day
Anthropology worthy of study,
the varied cultures of each cities park,
to grind until their trucks create a spark.
A celebration of community.
A place to see an American truth.
How we can unite and act as one force,
to take a break from our lives beaten course,
to try something hard while risking a tooth.
For on this concrete no one thinks color
or if their brand of board will make the cut.
Just nice weather and a half pipe promise.
Everyone is a sister or brother.
To skate towards perfection using their gut
over again till the act seems flawless.
- On One Terrible Night: The Family Well - November 8, 2024
- A Peaceful Place to Slumber - November 8, 2024
- Soft Shock of Apples Falling - April 22, 2024
If only the whole world could possess the kind of brother/sisterhood that children and young adults at a skateboard park, life would be far better. Thank you for sharing this fun sport, Jamie. I enjoyed reading it. I love going to Idlewild, it is a lovely park and people are so relaxed and happy there. Wonderful poetry. Take care.
Nicely penned and expressed, of the skate parks filled with striving lads to be the next big thing. Pros make a lot of money out of it these days. My second eldest sone did it for a while but then got into snowboarding. He’s now a bodybuilder and makes me look like a shrimp. lol Well done
A great compilation extolling the virtues of the skate park culture, Jamie. I spent many an hour watching and supervising my children at skateparks when they were younger, and two sons were most proficient at the sport. I just read that Tony’s son went on to become a bodybuilder, well two of mine became Muay Thai fighters and now personal trainers, so maybe skateboarding leads to other forms of fitness sports. I enjoyed this.