One sunny summer afternoon
someone set up a game-
a line was suspended in air
and to jump over it was the aim

the line was set,
it was high and up tall,
the long legged were to win
the short were to fall

suddenly there was an outcry
in the growing crowd
"why spoil the long legged?"
screamed a defiant voice aloud

"the line should be set for the minority
for the short, for the less inclined!
The long legged already have an advantage
this is ludicrous, you will find!"

the leaders met together
and pondered that radical cry
and then they changed their system
right there under the sky

they lowered the line a few feet
Put it very close to the ground
"this is so simple that even the worst
will look like they leap and bound!"

the crowd was most content
and they sat about to watch the game
when they realized that by lowering the lines
they had also desolved of the aim

all the competitors played
and their abilities were made quite plain,
though it was possible for all to jump over,
quality was not easily obtained

the game was reduced to a circus
of millions of jumping men
some almost flew, while others bumbled,
but no one could really win

the silliness of the few
caused many viewers to depart
and the wonderful leapers and bounders
were snuffled in their hearts

aventually the game slowed to a stop
as no one was there to judge
It was hard to tell who the better ones were
when the awful wouldn't budge

And one day it came to be,
by the light of the crescent moon,
that a talented prancer remembered
that sunny afternoon.

"we tried to lift that line again,
But it was much to hard to raise
Lowering it had taken but seconds...
But raising it took days!"

"we played that game again one day
and refused to let the line budge
and lo and behold when the games were done
we had many people to judge!"

"and thats how we got better
and the "skippers" would watch and learn.
Everyone wanted to be a prancer
and eagerly awaited their turn."

"that whole summer week was a strange one,
and my prancing lessons have become a haze.
But one thing I learned is that once a line's down
It sure is hard to raise."

Fair,
I Loved this ...

at first when i started reading this, i was sure that the poem was going to head into some sort of limbo thing...you know, lowering the stick and all, and it would be a sweet and somewhat amusing happy poem, and then i realised that indeed it had a serious point in regards to how life is... this to me was a delightful surprise thanks.

Awesome awesome.

"blah blah blah, yakety schmakety"

...it reminded me of affirmative action.
It spoke to the "lowering of standards" so everyone can play. It reminded me of a sadness I feel about the loss of "standards." It reminded me of the world in which I live.

This was another one of my RHYMING STORIES from the 8th grade and I found it just recently. Actually, TheNostromo iT IS about affirmative action because around the time I wrote it in WA state... it was a very big deal. Anyhoo, thanks again.

(I just tried editing this because it made little to no sense... but I've given up. lol)

[This message was edited by Fair_GwenofAir on 01-20-01 at 01:23 AM.]

there is always something animated or fantastic about your work. It gives character and makes it a pleasure to read.

"So let it be written. So let it be done." - Rameses II

I revisited this one, since it makes me cringe to read now... and tried to re-write it, so I thought I'd post the edited version here.

One sunny summer afternoon,
someone set up a game--
a line, suspended in air--
jumping it was the aim.

The line was set up--
high, taut, and tall.
While the long-legged won,
the short seemed to fall.

The outcry was responsive--
defiant and loud.
"Why spoil the long-legged?"
came a voice from the crowd.

"Set the line for the young ones,
the inflexible, the short.
The long have advantages!
In this, there's no sport."

The game leaders gathered
to consider the voice.
They changed their system,
feeling no choice.

The line was lowered,
very close to the ground--
so simple that even clumsy
could join, leap and bound.

The crowd was most content
and sat to watch the game,
but soon saw that though fixed,
there wasn't an aim.

Many new competitors played,
and abilities were made plain.
Though all were able to jump,
quality wasn't always obtained.

The game turned to circus--
with millions of skipping men--
Some flew, others bumbled,
but no one could really win.

The silliness of the few
caused the crowd to depart,
and the very talented leapers
were snuffled in their hearts.

Eventually, the game came to stop
as no one was there to judge.
It was hard to tell who did well
when the awful wouldn't budge.

They tried to lift that line again,
but it was much to hard to raise.
Lowering it had taken seconds,
but raising it took days.

They started to played again that day
and refused to let the line budge.
And while the games were happening,
a crowd came to clap and judge.

That's how things got better.
The skippers watched and learned,
they studied the talented leapers
and eagerly awaited their turn.

The past became past quite quickly,
the history an ignorable haze.
So always remember-- when a line's down,
it's near impossible to raise.