

The Thiness Of Ice by Liz Loxley
‘At first we’ll meet as friends
(Though secretly I’ll be hoping
we’ll become much more
and hoping that you’re hoping that too)
‘At first we’ll be like skaters
testing the thickness of ice
(with each meeting
we’ll skate nearer the centre of the lake)
‘Later we will become less anxious to impress
less eager than the skater going for gold.
(The triple jumps and spins
will become an old routine,
we will become content with simple movements).
‘Later we will not notice the steady thaw,
the creeping cracks will be ignored.
(And one day when the ice gives way
we will scramble to save ourselves
and not each other)
‘Last of all we’ll meet as acquaintances
(though secretly we’ll be enemies,
hurt by missing out on a medal,
jealous of new partners)
‘Last of all we’ll be like children
Having learnt the thinness of ice,
(Though secretly, perhaps, we may be hoping,
to break the ice between us
and meet again as friends)’
The problem with trying to forget your past is that no matter how much time passes you can never truly outrun it. Eventually you will be reminded. Whether it is a name, a scent, or a written letter, for one miniscule second you’ll be transported back to a time when things were perfect ..or not so perfect. Depend on how you look at it.