Elizabeth Meade

ODE TO LEFT ARM

You were never the 'bad' one,
just misunderstood: rebel against
the tame stillness of a body beholden,
conductor of a symphony to my vibrant
energy. You bounce on invisible
trampolines; I marvel at your beautiful
wildness. A wing against my side,
you flap free of regret, while my fist
bangs my hip in search of the beat
of a drum.
         You've always known there's
music in me, even when I'm in pain.
I'm sorry for the times I wished you
were gone -- closed hand, a sleeping
flower, elegant fingers gently curled.
They delight in their arch, beckon
for the perfect fit. Your palm holds
hundreds of pearls of sweat. Thank
you for your caress, the forgiveness
of a wild joy I criticized. Thank you for
daring to love life passionately,
even when it didn't love you back.

Elizabeth Meade is a 22-year-old emerging African-American poet and motivational speaker with Cerebral Palsy. She has been writing poems since the age of 13, when she inexplicably lost her ability to walk. She lives in a small town in Maine with her family. She is on the Board of Directors for Alpha One, Maine's Center for Independent Living.