Broken red candle swiped on the sly
From an old junk draw
Rubbed wax on cold steel runners
Caked snow and rust fall to frozen ground
Above, the valley
Voices muffled, breath steaming
The hill goes down forever
To the ice-bound lake below
Vehicle of metal and wood
Held tightly in stiff-mittened hands
The run
The drop
The belly flop
Then only the wind and blades whistling
White flakes dancing in the wake
An eternity of racing downward
Towards the dip in the hill
Hitting hard, pulled upwards
As if by some malevolent snow god
Airborne until gravity's angel
Yanks me to the earth with a bang
A rattle of wood, teeth, and bones
And an appalling ache in my groin
To crunch slowly over crusted snow
To the brink of the lake
And like fools who rush in
Where only the bravest dare to sled
I think I'll try it again!