the heart of a gymnast

"she doesn't really look like a gymnast, does she?"
people have said to me, more than once.

she has long, thin legs.
her feet are almost the same size as mine.
she is nine.
she will be tall, no doubt,
as her father towers over us all.
her torso is long as well.
she gets that from me.
her arms are thin.

you are right, she doesn't "look" like a gymnast.

but her hands are calloused,
rough from bar work.
her wrists are weathered from her trusty grips.
and do not be fooled by those thin arms.
they are strong.
so strong.

her toes are long enough to wrap
around the sides of the beam,
they keep her in balance.
they too are rough from turn after turn.
and those long, thin legs?
when they are straight, with toes pointed,
the line she makes is gorgeous.
simply gorgeous.

her drive,
her desire,
her will,
her passion,
to practice,
to push herself,
to succeed.
this is inside her heart.
inside her mind.

so, yeah, you could say that
she doesn't "look" like a gymnast.
but then again -
perhaps you are not looking hard enough.