By Marilyn Jones, Schoolcraft’s Poet Laureate
We once had an ice skating rink
In the middle of our backyard,
A November birthday gift for Steve
He learned of the present from his card.
The kids were all expectant
It would be so much fun,
First, Dad had to purchase big boards
(They weighed about a ton.)
The frame began to take shape
A huge tarp was spread out and nailed down
Soon all it needed was some water
The next H20 bill would make us frown.
In three days it was frozen solid
Excited children laced their skates up,
With a few stumbles, falls and laughter
And barking from Smoky, our black Lab pup.
Laurie invited her Brownie troupe
To a skating party after school,
That day it snowed four inches
This Mom shoveled like a fool.
So ten little girls could have a good time
Cookies and hot chocolate ended their play,
The boys helped, but I shoveled every day
“Please, no more snow this year,” I’d pray.
Eventually, we had a spring thaw
Our skating rink was a puddle of mud,
Dad disassembled it and packed it away
As the crocuses and violets began to bud.
As for skating rinks in our town
Ours was the one and only,
I said, “If we do it again next year
By gosh, we’re getting a Zamboni!”
