Nothing is free — the child

must pay his dues to walk

as we must too to ski,

we too bruise body & ego

(knee & me) pick ourselves up

(dusting off snow) & return

to the same mindless repetition—

humiliating, liberating exercise.

Again & again we try the same

simple turn on the same

featureless snow & eventually learn

to say yes to our skis instead of no.

Nothing is free  — but the skier

is as free as anyone, or freer.