Oregon, December 2006

    by Larina Warnock

Most folks talk about the rain,

steady deluge from November to May

here in Western Oregon, but to me

the culture of compassion minus

pity is more noteworthy.

Your new school sent a photo home

— you in PE class, feet resting

on bicycle pedals, specialized

cushions and straps adapted

to support your tottering frame. I

didn't even read the note that

accompanied this news, too engrossed

in the idea of you doing something

other children do every day, and cerebral

palsy seemed a suddenly small

obstacle crushed beneath the weight

of revolving tires and dreams.

© 2013  Larina Warnock

Larina Warnock is a mother, wife, teacher, and writer who believes strongly in the power of forward motion, advocacy, and reaching out. Her work has appeared in The Oregonian, Poet's Market, Space & Time Magazine, and others, as well as in Touch: The Journal of Healing. Her chapbook, Guitar Without Strings, is available from The Lives You Touch Publications.