Avalanche

Expert skiers ought to know
That skiing ever faster
And off the beaten track just might
Precipitate disaster.

The specialists who gauge the snow
For slickness, depth and such
Put warnings out so all who ski
Stay out of danger’s clutch.

Yet more and more, those athletes
Who love risks and taking chances
Ignore all the advice and yield
To daring circumstances.

And so an avalanche occurs,
Which causes pain or death.
I wonder if regret’s expressed
In someone’s dying breath.

For admonitions only work
If they are sternly heeded.
A dab of caution is the dose
Of medicine that’s needed.

I sympathize with those who’ve lost
A loved one to the slopes;
But those who died so recklessly
Were those who knew the ropes.