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. |