A Thing About Crutches

THREE LEGS TO FOUR

When one is young enough still
To only crawl, standing seems a miracle.
Knee replaces hand replaces knee,
Easy and correct, the wide world
Stretches accessible, kinetic
And carpeted.

Progress belittles comfort, belies
Complacence. One must take
The hand as offered, dig heels downward,
And push, palm to sofa, skyward-
Feet and ankles, now, hips and knees.
Inches and endurance eclipse
Pace.

Reeducation, joint by joint, wobbling
Tension to cross the room, the yearning
To reach where one's already been,
Now slightly higher, now closer
To normal.

Movement now is struggle. The process
is the goal. When one is able, one
Must move forward. When one falls,
One must adapt.