As time recedes and decades continue to unfurl,
The experiences of past years around me swirl;
And age begins to blossom as a full-blown churl.
The apperceptive mass from its inner twirl
Spins forth, now and then, a distinctive curl.
One such pearl -- being chased by a girl.

To recapture the moment, years are retraced,
'Til I was a lad of ten, fresh-faced and chaste.
Not by one, but three, pretty girls was I raced,
Desperate to avoid being disgraced and debased.
Most such events have long since been replaced,
But no memory to waste -- by a girl being chased.

Every young lad must beware of designs to ensnare;
Lacking deft footwear, from all encounters forbear.
Though never in despair, he must avoid races unfair.
Nothing alacrity impair, for he must ever prepare
For rules from nowhere that give him a scare;
Lucky to escape the affair by the nape or a hair.