Sharon Rickman

TRAVELING IN A WHEELCHAIR

In the US access is far
Better than that on a par
   With the world as a whole
   For those on a roll
Who battle with curb, stair and car.

Cobble stones, gravel and sand,
With seldom a grab bar at hand,
   Mean a good travel plan
   Should include a strong man
Whose attendance is gallant and grand.

The subway in Spain, by the way,
Is handicap-friendly, they say.
   But please be aware
   You enter by stair
Which, in my case, could take me all day.

Low toilets are really the pits.
Arising's a pain when you sits.
   Having to call
   For help lest you fall
Makes you feel like a bit of a ditz.

And heaven forbid the sad hour
When you find that must have a shower.
   You will sit meek and mild,
   Being bathed like a child.
Feeling helplessly stripped of your power.

So living in US of A,
The land where they passed ADA,
   Sets you up for surprises
   As challenge arises
When traveling far far away.

Sharon Rickman, a retired computer programmer, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 17 years ago. Since then she has been afflicted with limericks, the result of a mind more active than the body. With a devoted husband and three grown children, she finds writing poetry more therapeutic than programming computers.