On the occasion of attending a gymnastics event by Janette Schafer

A quiet, dark girl--
all rage and concentrated muscle--
flung her body like a child's rag doll.

I envied her center of gravity,
steadiness of gaze and body.
They call it tumbling

except she always seemed so sure.
I wondered how she walked on earth
after tasting sky.



Janette Schafer is a freelance writer, photographer, singer, and banker living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is the chief editor of Social Justice Anthologies and the Artistic Director of Beautiful Cadaver Project Pittsburgh. Her writing and photographs have appeared in numerous publications. She is pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing from Chatham University. She has a forthcoming collection of poems titled “Something Here Will Grow,” from Main Street Rag Publishing in 2020.