in all my distraction with school
and Ben
I have been
off
at the gym

my coach has noticed
and demands for me to focus
telling me to get my head on straight
for the invitational
just two weeks away

he tells me to either
land the Arabian
or do the flight series
but that I
absolutely
must have a
higher start value on beam

he tells me that beam is what throws me off
every single time
and that I need to pull it together,
that it is all in my head.

I think I’d rather ride an Arabian
balanced on my head
than try to land one
in competition

but I don’t argue
I never argue
I just climb back up on the beam
flip over and twist
land on the beam and
fall to the floor

my coach smacks his head
and walks away

I get up and try again
and again