ISLAND CABIN

This was on my list of places to go before leaving Colorado

and I was putting it off.




























This is Bowman the Showman.
He lived near me growing up.
I would see him at competitions, a strong and wild skater.
It occured to me, but only like two weeks ago,
that my first introduction to boys was in this context,
in tights and rhinestones, muscles flying around glittering.





He died a couple months ago
alone in a hotel room.





They have this Warhol of Dorothy Hamill there.

Here's my coach's daughter and Robert Wagonhoffer,

a beautiful golden haired boy who brought disco to the rink,

played it loud and did his amazing moves and got in trouble.

The first to land a quad in practice.

Later his partner died of AIDS and then so did he.

This is Janet Lynn. I used to have a color copy of this publicity photo.

I had it completely memorized. I didn't like her skating but I saw my opposite in her,

blond, round and that kind of smile.








things other people want for you












loving nicely made boots, the smell of the sponge material on the tongue

that kept the leather from digging into your shin, but it did anyway, along

the edges. And, the smell of moleskin, spandex, refrigeration.







And then this, Scott Hamilton's unitard on the way out the door.
I wished I hadn't seen it all truncated and itchy looking.