Travis Laurence Naught
ON THE WATER
Diving is not a sport
quadriplegics in electric wheelchairs
generally participate in, so caution
loading in and out of my boat,
to the point of frustrating dad and
humoring my friends (that is to say,
making them laugh), is understandable.
Judges in a cannonball contest
would be most impressed with the splash,
I'm sure. Officials at The Games, however,
would post scores of 4.2 or lower,
regardless of a sympathetic crowd.
Pats on the back only go so far
when death is threatening.
Feet on the boat, then off the boat;
grab the railing, pull tight, don't let go!
Choreographed movements
keep my seat-belted ass dry
and I will keep taking precautions
to make sure I never learn
how fast I sink.
Travis Laurence Naught is an author who happens to be a quadriplegic wheelchair user.
Two volumes of his confessional style poetry, The Virgin Journals (ASD Publishing, 2012)
and Still Journaling (e-book, 2013), are widely available. Individual poems, stories,
articles, and reviews by Travis have been published widely online and in print including: Yellow
Chair Review, The Big Smoke US, NewPages.com, Freshwater Poetry Journal, Empty Sink Publisher.
Check his blog
for more original writing and information.
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