So we went and won a medal in the Winter Olympics <br />With gold in the skeleton, as Amy Williams' slick tricks <br />Outslid the opposition on the hair-raising quick track <br />As she sped her sled to first position racing on that switchback. <br /> <br />She diced so nicely with the ice and shattered the course record <br />And maddened the Canadians who hoped that she'd come second; <br />The lass from Bath zipped faster than a zapped flash of lightning <br />As she whistled past in Whistler in a dash almost frightening. <br /> <br />For thirty years we'd waited since the skater, Robin Cousins, <br />Had figured in his victory and set the nation buzzing <br />But, as over-warm Vancouver hosts the best of every nation, <br />The snow we bore this winter might have been the inspiration. <br /> <br />So, as we battle through to work in thigh-high drifts and blizzards, <br />Let's not complain that snow's a pain that winter's wicked wizard <br />Has dealt us for a spell to irk commuters and communities <br />But let us get our skates on so we don't miss opportunities. <br /> <br />We'll raid packed attics through the land for sledges and toboggans <br />To build our skills for thrills and spills that we have long forgotten <br />And as we practise winter sports and press on with our training <br />Let's just be grateful for the cold, and glad that it's not raining. <br /> <br />Yet, if this Winter's a one-off and climate change continues, <br />You still can find your inner child that's hiding deep within you <br />To take delight in snowball fights, don't gripe or grouse or grumble <br />That you might slip if there's no grit so you might take a tumble. <br /> <br />And, if you think the skating rink is best to be avoided, <br />Encourage kids who bid to skid, so they're not disappointed, <br />For we might raise more champions with more determination <br />To go for gold and cheat the cold in our deep-frozen nation.<br /><br />C Richard Miles<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/winter-olympic-gold/
