This poem is dedicated to every kid who ever found the courage to take a leap
and anyone who ever helped it happen
The Two-Scoop High-Dive Foot-First Feat
from the high dive
of the Sea Island Beach Club
the cool blue pool
was the earth from space
we tiptoed to the end
shivered,
chickened-out
crept back again
careful to stay
in the middle
down the ladder
we lowered
our trembling limbs
to recover
slunk across
to the ice cream stand
averting our cowardly eyes
from the lowered shades
of the sunbathers
mocking our courage
but then-
then
then the tall black ice cream man
in his white paper hat
and white stringed apron
who in the mid-1970s
could spot defeat
of every kind
took one look
and knew
just what to do
he perked up:
tilted his gaze
eyebrows raised
mouth ablaze
with a smile
flashed his big white teeth
with a gold crown
and asked
“Two Scoops??”
of course
he already knew
the answer
but we shyly smiled
and nodded, whispered
“yes sir, chocolate, please”
and he bent into
the freezer
with his metal scoop
rolled up two spheres
of a world we
could
dive into
devouring it
one lick at a time
as we sat
on the vinyl-strapped
pool chairs
in the cool shade
to stay
ahead of the
melting drips
trickling down the cone
to the last soggy-crisp
bite of the cream-laden
cake bottom
then
sticky-fingered
off we ran
whistle-warned
by the lifeguard
“Walk!”
he scolded
and the shades lowered
again
denting our courage
again
Mom’s head raised
from her sunbathing
at the whistle
somehow knowing
her shades, too, lowered
eyes adjusting
peering out
spotting our
chocolate-rimmed mouths
garnering us
30 minutes of no swimming
for our stomachs to settle
so we dipped our feet
in the baby pool
for forever
and waited
and waited
and waited
until finally
her yellow and white
gingham sunhat shifted
and she released us
and with the sure-footed steps
of an Olympian
we marched boldly
back to that ladder
climbed with confidence
and strode to the end
of that board
peeked over the edge
shuddered again
from outer space
at the tiny speck of world below
crept back
to the ladder
d
o
w
n
and
stopped
closed our eyes
turned around
took a deep breath
clenched our fists
stepped forward
one step at a time
then
fueled by a double dose of empowerment
opened our eyes
looked straight ahead
and sprinted off the edge
performing the greatest
Two-Scoop High-Dive Foot-First Feat
ever
in the history of the world
and we knew it
because
from
behind the ice cream stand
we saw
two
black thumbs up
Common Threads 