I have a sense of myself
as a small girl
in my own garden
learning how to ride
my big two wheeler bike.
This takes concentration.
Most of the time
my cycling is fine now,
but occasionally I still wobble.

My God, My Daddy has been teaching me.
He stands in the middle of the garden
looking on in delight
at the progress I have made.

Eventually I finish my laps of the garden
and sit down beside My Daddy in the sun.
He has something to say.

“Claire, you’re a big girl now
and you know how to ride your bike.
It’s time for you now
to leave the safety of the garden.
Cycling’s not easy, you know.
You’ll encounter hills
which will be great fun to go down
but really difficult to climb.
When that happens,
you just have to remember
to keep pedalling.”

“The other important thing to remember
is that no matter how big you grow
you’ll still be my wee girl
and I’ll still be your Daddy,
looking out for you.”

My Daddy opens the gate
and I cycle out,
a little wobbly, a little scared
but determined
because cycling is something
that I really want to do.

© Claire Murray