Once Upon a Time in Meribel

I walked from the chalet
to Meribel's ski resort
relishing the anticipation
of tackling a new sport.

I was a complete novice
but had got high hopes
to learn how to slalom
on the nursery slopes.

The town was abuzz
with early activity;
boutiques had the look
of implied exclusivity.

The smell emanating
from a chocolatier shop
was so inviting
that I had to stop.

After a hot chocolat
and a warm croissant
I felt I had become
a French bon vivant.

But I was a tourist
who could not resist
the challenging runs
of the local piste.

Aboard a ski lift,
I went up a steep hill,
willing and ready 
to test my skill.

I told the supplier 
my skis were too long
but he still insisted
that I was wrong.

The descent began,
one ski went across
the other, as if to show
who was the boss.

In a panic, I affected
a nonchalance
as I tried to correct
the runners' imbalance

but still came a cropper.
This is all I can tell
of my first (and last) visit
to the piste of Meribel.

© Luigi Pagano 2023