Emily (who happens to be from my writing project!) at #verselove invited writers to share something about themselves using Clint Smith’s poem by the same name as inspiration. Thanks for a great prompt Emily! I knew right away what I would write about–but it was much harder than I anticipated! Here’s my attempt:
Something You Should Know
is that the teenaged me bonded with Dad over
sprint cars as pit crew members
Squeezed in the back of the truck
nestled with the spare tires
on long road trips to the racetrack
Circles of speed
left turns only
going around and around
arriving nowhere fast
Rolling tires
topping off fuel
pushing the race car to the starting line
Dressed alike in white jeans and t shirt
as we traverse the muddy track
trying not to wipe grease stained hands
on those bright white pants
Life’s lessons:
watch your back
compete even if you can’t win
fitting in sometimes means standing out
and eventually you figure out what matters most in life
through the relationships built
watching cars drive around in circles.
Thinking Through My Lens 