By Douglas J. Lanzo
Copyright 2020    

First published in Academy of the Heart and Mind online on my birthday, November 9, 2021

Dedicated to my beloved figure-skating son, Alex

He skates onto the ice, his eyes bright
with life, waving to us, beaming, 
radiating God-gifted joy.
He skates backwards in a tightening circle, 
accelerating, refreshing air ruffling his outfit, 
accentuating his speed.
He stops theatrically, his blades tossing 
delicate sprays of ice.
Then, arms outstretched, he races across 
the icy stage, reaching out to his audience, drawing 
them into the core of his being, 
enabling them to sense
the divine majesty he feels inside.

Knees bent, he thrusts forward, 
jumping with perfect balance, 
ascending higher and higher, soaring to 
new heights.
We can scarcely breathe the rarified air, 
our breathing frozen in time for 
a few magical moments
until he lands and 
we gasp relief.

Twisting and turning in controlled mastery,
he springs, coils and releases, 
rotating through the air with ease,
landing axles with crisp beauty,
its graceful precision inducing even the ice
to crackle in wonder each time he lands.
We are swept into an ethereal realm,
transported by the artistry of a boy
into a heavenly kingdom, 
as he skates his vision and
shares blessings from above.