Received an email from an anonymous account with the subject “A poem from a fan” – after enjoying the content and thus following up, the author granted permission to publish it here, on the condition of continued anonymity. Which I respect.
Skate Lives
A young boarder is angry
With his local skate scene
Always chased by security
They’re always so mean
What did I do?
Why do I run?
Just trying to have
Some boarding fun
Never occurring was the thought
That I’m not in my place
Maybe that’s why security
Is all up in my face
Grinding the mall fountain
Keeps bringing the heat
Day after angry day
Grind, run, repeat
Knowing not what to do
Because he’s just a young man
Skate Lives on the concrete
With an angry spray can
I am tired of running
I just want to ride
These words that I wrote
Will restore my pride
After this first public sign
The old boarders unite
All boarders have stories
This just isn’t right
The boarders decide
To clean up the blight
And then they go do
What we all know is right
They find the young boarder
To make it well known
Put down the spray can
We take care of our own
If you’re looking to fight me
My fists make me clear!
Whoa bro, go slow
That’s not why we’re here
We’ll show you what it means
To be who you are
You’re a boarder, be proud
Boards can carry you far
But not this way
If you’re here to stay
Then ride this way
It’s time for you to learn your way
Just free your mind
We’ll do all the rest
We want you to meet
Who you are at your best
Come out on my boat
Said the boarder from wake
Bring all the skills
That you learn when you skate
Bring switch for blind landings
And landing with speed
What to do with the handle
Is all that you’ll need
Whirlybirds and back rolls
Let’s get productive
Out here your tantrums
Are much less destructive
When you get bored with your inverts
I’ll teach you some grabs
Wake wipeouts hurt much less
No road rash or scabs
Our boats are filled
With friend after new friend
We will wake surf the river
From end to end
And when we are done
With our day full of laughing
The tricks that we stuck
And ones we went crashing
You will leave my wake scene
With your eyes open wide
To what being a boarder means
Deep down inside
Now go ride
Come up to the slopes
Said the boarder from snow
Powder days are here
So get ready to go
Up here we all share
As we ride up the chair
Both skiers and boarders
And others who care
At the top we part ways
With new skiers we found
As they head for their moguls
To bump their way down
He looked at his board
The lesson was plain
I’m not built to follow them
Not without considerable pain
I’m a boarder I see
The path I’m to ride
I’ll meet my new skier friends
After I slide
We teach all young boarders
Who think only one board can matter
Strap your feet into my bindings
And that idea will shatter
Ride a day in my terrain park
Huge launch ramps we own
And our railslides are faster
Than any you’ve known
Steep drops and back bowls
And overnight snow drifts
Waist deep, can’t sleep
Right back to the chair lift
As a boarder my job
Is to help riders who fall
And sometimes help youngsters
Who think they know it all
Strap on your brain bucket
Let’s get out and about
Hitting the pow pow
Before it all gets tracked out
Try not to rag doll
On your way down
Yard sales on YouTube
Make you look like a clown
Rodeos and Mistys
All fully tweaked
McTwists and Shiftys
Adrenaline peaked
And when we are done
With our day full of laughing
The tricks that we stuck
And ones we went crashing
You will leave my snow scene
With your eyes open wide
To what being a boarder means
Deep down inside
Now go ride
Come out to the beach
Said the boarder from kite
I’ll show you a way
For you to fly right
The wind is kicking up
We are gonna fly high
Today you will learn how to
Ride your board in the sky
These boards are longer
Than the longest board you ride
But don’t be afraid
I’ll be right by your side
Send it into the power zone
Edge as fast as you might
Then flick your board back
When you boost your kite
With your board on your feet
Up up and away
Believe you can fly
It’s the only way
And when we are done
With our day full of laughing
The tricks that we stuck
And ones we went crashing
You will leave my kite scene
With your eyes open wide
To what being a boarder means
Deep down inside
Now go ride
All these boarders
made their point
Said the old surfer
smoking a joint
For one final lesson
Come out to the surf break
Reset your priorities
And peace you shall make
Out here we respect
Our ocean and tide
Our planet, our world
For our children to ride
If you question the wisdom
Of this crusty old boarder
Watch as I show you
Life’s pecking order
On a way outside roller
The longboarder rode proud
He had toes on his nose
Before he even got to the crowd
As he shot through the young bucks
None even dared
To drop in on this master
They just sat still and stared
A cross stepping boss
He rode his own way
Tucked into the barrel
He did not come to play
He owned that ride
And the whole crowd too
He was a proud old boarder
Through and through
Respect in this world
Is only commanded
Respect is not something
That can be demanded
So when you decide
You have something to say
Make the world hear you scream
By the course that you stay
Speak with your actions
Not only your words
And just like my barrel
Your voice will be heard
And when we are done
With our day full of laughing
The tricks that we stuck
And ones we went crashing
You will leave my surf scene
With your eyes open wide
To what being a boarder means
Deep down inside
Now go ride with pride
by Anonymous
Author
