It’s the last day before winter break
Attention spans have been depleted
An afternoon assembly has been called
With lesson plans having been completed
The crowd shuffles into the cafetorium
Spirits are as high as the growing din
A wide-eyed boy finds his place on the floor
Oblivious to what is about to begin
Mr. Wood takes the stage to settle the crowd
His commanding baritone does the rest
“We have a surprise for you now, boys and girls”
He declares to a crowd unimpressed
“Mrs. MacIntyre, will you join me up here”
He calls to a functional stage left
She hurries to join him onstage
Her words are eloquent and deft
“Settle down, kids, we have a treat for you.
Please welcome the band New Song to the stage.
To perform a song derived from a poem
Written by one of you fresh off the page.”
The band confidently strode into the pale light
Exuding that late ‘70s folk vibe
Mike took the mic and called out to the crowd
“We’re New Song, and you are part of our tribe”
Without further ado, Mike continued
“We’re pleased to perform for you this tune
Adapted from the poem Roller Skates
Written by someone here in this room.”
“Will Joey Mannino, please stand up”
The assembly once raucous fell quiet
Hearing his name spoken without animus
Felt better than he was proud to admit.
Nearly frozen in terror he stood
Unsure if this was real or a dream
His legs were aquiver, his mind was adrift
Pulled by currents in this chaotic stream
The crowd erupted in applause
The band took the cue to start
Acoustic guitar, violin and sax in tune
But the lyrics of the poem played their part
Hearing his words lifted from the page
Performed in melodic time
Joey joined the crowd in their reverie
Celebrating roller skates rendered sublime
A story told in romantic fantasy
Dreams of a future only time could fulfill
A trip to the park, the track and the store
Roller skating with time to kill
The crowd was enthralled and electric
The boy so consumed in the surreal
While the band settled into the groove
Breathing life into leather and wheel
The assembly was now concluded
A proper start for the winter break
The kids shuffled out resplendent
Joey left befuddled in the wake
Decades passed, memories decayed
The boy now a man still uncertain
Had that moment really ever occurred
Or had he simply imagined the curtain
A child’s ode to roller skates turned into a song
Though years would roll by under wheel
The memory of that moment still persists
For a glory only hindsight could reveal
