Kiki's Mother as L.A. Thunderbird

They found her skating on the Venice Walk.
Once around the lap at the Olympic
and Dick Lane tagged her Slats, and coach John Hall
threw infield chairs to see how she’d react.

In no time, she could hip-check and slash,
skate through the legs of Big Tina Flores
to score. One by one, New York Bombers crashed
over rails or themselves. Tenderly they rose

to find a full Whip in the making, each
skater banking hard and faster each time
round the track. Then hands reaching back, then linked,
the four snapping forward number five—

Lapping, her thin body blurred, and when she leaped
across the pooled heads, she flew toward history.