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∴

when you’ve been moving at high speeds
the arrival of ice
makes you acutely aware
of your momentum

there is an invisible layer of risk
that you can sense

it’s underneath you as you move

you feel caution at every turn
and relief at its passing
like you’ve dodged a bullet
you couldn’t see

·

i hear the click
– little ticking warnings –
of sleet against my screen
and i wonder

if i can slow down

if i brake, i’ll swerve
if i speed up, I’ll spin
but if i coast

if i coast

if i let the path guide me along

i might land
like a sledder at the bottom of a hill,

exhilarated by the ride
and grateful for level ground
that i could stand firmly on
again

∴

 

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