n fifth st poem no 22
nobody says I HAVE to write
about the lincoln half marathon
every year but this year marks
the seventh that my neighbor
amaya now ten has skipped about
in the street as runners – toward
the end dragly walkers limpers –
go by given them high fives of
encouragement congratulation
the special thing about this year
she’s moved to colorado but flew
back in order not to miss the race
she got 803 high fives before she
retired and with a final cartwheel
went into grandma’s for a cookie
©2017 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in Apr 6-12, 2017.
