After the accident
he couldn’t dance the way he did before
but popping wheelies in a chorus
let people know
he could still really move.

Marathons took a different turn too
much more of a strain on the arms
than before.
No complaints, though.
Complaints were for other folks.

He found
that the more activities he added to his day
the less chance he had
to curse the darkness of the night.
There simply wasn’t time
for depression.

Still
if the world sometimes pressed
down on him
like it did that one damned day
at least now
he had shoulders
strong enough to bear it.