“Subway Train” © 1999
Robert G. Targos

Out of my pocket came the token.
I was ready to step up and try it again.
Without hesitation, I paid the toll.
I stepped on, ready to rock and roll.

Other people generously offered to stand
They were afraid of where I would land.
I wanted to go for it, and roll the dice.
I could win it all, or pay the loser’s price.

They didn’t want to see me bounce around.
But I knew I could handle the moving ground.
People thought, because of my disability
That I would have a limited level of ability.

I gently turned down the selfless gifts.
I opted instead for some sudden shifts.
Before the first curve, I felt my body drift.
And I knew my reaction had to be swift.

People’s faces said the risk wasn’t smart.
But all I had to was move my legs apart.
In the next turn, I made a bobsledder’s move.
Battling against gravity, I had something to prove.

Sometimes I needed the pole for support
And I developed a new personal sport.
I was determined to ace the unique test.
And people’s smiles told me they were impressed.

When I thought I was succeeding below
I felt the push of an invisible throw.
I made many adjustments to my tilting weight
Because the erratic car was going anything but straight.

I second-guessed my choice to be on that train
And I heard a voice echoing in the tunnels of my brain.
Sometimes you need to be insane
To make an unheard of gain.

I am Superman verse (added from the Kesem June 2018,  inspired by poetry from Mattie Stepanek)

Yes Kal-El can roam the sky
But Christopher Reeve also made his wheelchair look fly.

So my fingers, hands and arms help my crutches do the walking.
The physics of balance have changed the way people are talking.
I shout out with a rumble, to my fellow costars, like Molly (Peers) and Stephen Hawking.

After some rattling around,
I can maintain my composure and stand my ground.