Vancouver 2010 Olympics Poem by Gayathri Seetharam

Vancover 2010 Olympics
-Gayathri B. Seetharam
The strangest thing happened during the late fall of 2017 or early Jan 2018
On a Sunday, I went to the No Frills grocery store in the Bloor West Village
And at the cash counter, when I was putting all my shopping in grocery bags
I saw a pair of Vancouver 2010 mitts right next to me
To think I had not noticed it before I thought
And with delight that it had the magic label,
I handed it to the cashier and asked her to return to the rightful owner;

I learnt later that it meant that I was the chosen one
And I had the tenacity and talent and thrill for work as an Olympic athlete
And since I have not worked for money in a long time
I looked for inspiration from Clara Hughes who qualified for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics at age thirty seven
I had gifted her book, Open Heart, Open Mind, to my son for his 19th birthday in 2017
For to me, she is the most gifted of all athletes and I include men also for versatility is an important attribute
And the lady has won multiple medals in both summer and winter Olympics;

In the chapter, Full Circle, Clara Hughes says without fanfare:
I did compete in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver
I did carry the flag in the Opening Ceremony
I did win the bronze in the 5000 metres speed skating after one of the best races of my life;

This is the way an athlete sees his or her victory
For after the euphoria, there is concentrated effort to win back the same achievement
And a lot of jubilation or thrash talk could backfire in their direction
But it is upto us to make a lot out of their efforts and endeavours;
Canada hosted this winter Olympics and it was the "best of times and the worst of times"
For Stephen Harper was Prime Minister
But this period was simply beautiful
And Canada led in the gold medal count
Which made it all simply golden times the memory of which would last for ever;

I shall name three events where Canada got the gold medal
And try to relate it to a characteristic or wish of mine
Canada in a hard fought battle, emerged victorious over the USA in hockey
And I suggest to all those sports lovers out there for I am mostly a distracted watcher
That to gain a competitive edge, you must watch hockey
Maybe it's the dashing and the shooting in nanoseconds
But it makes you perform better in your area;

Of course, with a sensuous body like mine,
I should enjoy ice dancing and I do
The wonder team in ice dancing from Canada, Scot Muir and Tessa Virtue,
Won the gold in a beautiful skating routine which had been choreographed equally beautifully
They danced their hearts out and had the world at their feet
And more important, the judges up on their feet, figuratively speaking, in awe and appreciation;

And I loved the skiing event and would like to try it some day for a couple of hours
As I would snowboarding a little bit
Ashleigh McIvor won an Olympic gold medal in the debut of women's ski cross
In snowboarding, which made its Olympic debut in 1998, Maëlle Ricker became Canada's first female champion in the sport
When she won the women's snowboard cross at the 2010 OlympicWinter Games in Vancouver;

I, in these days, have developed a fear of snow and ice
When I could with ease battle mounds of snow and small icy patches
And with the two ladies conquering the winter elements with athletic grace and physical excellence
I feel that I could learn a lot from their will power and drive and determination;

I could dig into my reserves and past nerves of some steel
And see if I can achieve a tiny feat in each of the sports
And that is skate a little, play ice hockey a little
And ski and snowboard a little;

I watched Vancouver Olympics 2010 being telecast on CTV and CBC and TSN
To the utmost and I could not help thinking that James Duthie who used to co-host with Lisa Laflamme on CTV
Seemed a little dull this afternoon when he was hosting the IIHF game between Finland and Switzerland
And in concern for those were somewhat, days when I myself felt a little dull and depressed
I wish all including him a wonderful and successful happy 2019
And this will be a year when all of the athletes will achieve new milestones
And win more medals for Canada.