The Magic Light

My friends are at home warm and cozy and getting ready for bed
But I have goals and dreams so I’m here in the gym instead
As they were chatting online, watching TV and eating lots of ice cream
I was flipping on the floor, swinging on bars, and fighting to stay on beam

Near the end of training each night, after we are done with our routines
We have muscle burning conditioning, like little gymnastic machines
I hated it and I was lazy, it just seemed like punishment to me
I took shortcuts and had a bad attitude because I just couldn’t see…

We are spread out across the floor, always spaced evenly apart
It’s quiet because we have to be focused and ready for the start
He say’s “get ready for V-ups”, and that means stomach pain ahead
It’s not the first or second set of sixty, it’s the third set that I dread

On my back getting ready for the pain, I was staring up at the ceiling
When the brightest light blinded my sight and I had the strangest feeling
“Why am I here, I’m wasting my time if I’m not going to give it my all”
Wow! What just happened, was that some kind of magic wake up call?

He barks out the count, and it helps to keep up the pace
I know he cares about us, because you can see it in his face
But he’s firm and relentless about our physical condition
Every muscle, every movement, every body position

First I get the burning pain then my muscles start to feel numb
But I have to stay focused, I know there is a lot more to come
My teammates all need each other, to keep up with this brutal grind
Because we know we would have to start over, if one of us fell behind

The pouring sweat is burning as it drips into my eye
And I hear a younger girl whimper, and that makes me want to cry
It is said that what doesn’t kill you, will always make you stronger
I’m trying as hard as I can but my body can’t take this much longer

He always seems to sense our limit, his counting slows down a bit
I dig in hard and finish the set, there’s no way I was going to quit
We all lay back when the set is done and the pain starts to fade away
No one speaks, we’ve been here before and we are all going to be ok

So that night something changed inside me, and I was finally able to see…
The effort it takes to be the gymnast and be the person I was meant to be
And although I keep this to myself, I have a six pack made of steel
I love how I look from all my hard work and I love how it makes me feel

What a great honor to march with my teammates into a gym for a competition
And hearing people whisper, “OMG look at them, they are in amazing condition”
It’s humbling to be admired by family and friends and by people we don’t even know And I hope that soon you will see the light, just like I did, one night, not so long ago

Charlie Amerosa
Flipr110@aol.com