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.