A gymnast.

Cartwheels and handstands in the gym. Bright blue mats covering the gym floors.

 Cartwheels and handstands and backflips everywhere you turn.

Spinning and swinging on the bars, powderless hands start to feel a burn.

“Practice is over” coach tells us but I do not want to leave. 

Mom comes to pick me up from practice and we go home.

“No cartwheels and handstands, Watching you.” mom leaves the room.

I do one cartwheel and one handstand. Mom is in the bathroom doing her hair.

“No cartwheels and handstands” she repeats

I do a handstand on the wall to hold me up better. 

My knee slips and I miss the wall. The other knee goes into the wall creating a hole.

“Hole in the wall.”

“I told you no cartwheels and handstands. Now there is a hole in the wall.”