parkour on a Sunday morning

a kid-inspired poem

Roblox obby! — Parkour

my seven-year-olds know
the word parkour —
“it’s an obby” they explain
“but more hardcore”

they say it so plain,
so matter-of-fact — 
I nearly fall out of
the swing and I laugh

as we sit in the playground
this bright Sunday morning —
my lovelies always do
amaze me without warning

for I’ve seen the videos,
those wild YouTube clips —
of daring urban athletes
their jumps, swings and dips

as they tumble over fences
and scale ten-foot walls,
rappel down smokestacks,
flirt with fatal falls

but what does parkour mean
to a seven-year-old?
“there’s a game with that name
on Roblox” I’m told …

my daughter Abi offers
to demonstrate —
“lemme show you, Dad!”
as she heads straight