Thando Dube

when I was nine years old I told my dad

for my 10th birthday I was to skate on ice

it didn’t happen, but ice skating rinks ever abound

there has never been one too far.

always near, but impossible to touch

between a glass of impervious to reality

but that glass was shattered today

the occasion is today

everyday an occasion good enough for ice skating

but when I got to the ice skating rink

in the city with more round abouts

than colored folk, it was open

for a hockey game.

the man behind the ticket counter

had a red face

and he said too many words

i’ll come back another day I said

to live out the dreams of 9 year old me

to skate on ice for my 10th birthday

I take a vow today

to skate on ice before my 25th birthday