Two point five miles
"Check the time!"
And we're off.At first a struggle
Then quicker down a hill
to set the pace.A cool breeze
Is fall already here? It won't last.
The ice cream truckplays The Entertainer
No, it's still summerA fire burning
Steaks on the grill
Mmm, that smells good...I shift my balance to ease into a curve
A lawn mower roars
Freshly cut grass
Clean smell of nutrient-filled soil
Clamor of nails on asphalt
"Dog!"
Rush
My legs ache.
Another grill, this time links
I would definitely choose steak
Boom boom thwack!
Boom boom thwack!
"Car!"
Exhaust
The battle cry of a chihuahua
The Entertainer follows us with tired tones
Ice cream sounds good....
A basketball dribbled
Nod.
Coast down a hill
Rest for burning muscles
Breathe deeply
Prepare for The Hill
Accelerate
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon.....
Hit the base of the hill
Frantic pace
Struggle
Come....on....!
Momentum lost
The Hill conquers as I
slow to a crawl
Down the back of The Hill
Defeated.
"You're doing great! Keep it up!"
Renewed energy
Second lap around
Shadows
Lazy cats
Leaves rustle
Another nod
to passersby
Or are we the passersby?
A nod
to community
One more hill
One final turn
Our street at last
Home
The end
of our Tour de France
"How'd we do?"
"Twenty two minutes. Not a record, but what a great ride!"
Great poetry, thanks! I could feel your ride. But shouldn't it be the Tour de Ft.Worth?
ReplyDeleteWell, it probably should be the "Tour de Neighborhood" since we don't quite cover Fort Worth.
ReplyDeleteHowever, let the record show that we're cycling 5 or 7.5 miles each day, not just 2.5.
Oh, and Lydia is the better biker, by far!
Whatever! He doesn't realize the motivation of having a man twice my size on my heels the whole way! Haha!
ReplyDeleteReally, it is great motivation to have Jon behind me, encouraging me when I start slowing down.
And, as Jon clarified, the 2.5 miles is once around the neighborhood. We're working up to going three times around now!
Today, we made the trek to the post office! Only to find out it was closed. It was a lot more disappointing when we'd biked the whole way than when we just beebop over there in a car (I beebop. Jon drives, he would clarify.). But it was still fun to go somewhere different.
What a great poem! I could imagine it! And kudos to yall for keeping up the riding. I am so proud!
ReplyDeleteWait...so you went 5 miles in 22 minutes right? Not 2.5 miles in 22 minutes on a bike? right??? I used to could run 3.2 miles in 19.5 minutes.
ReplyDeleteI totally feel like biking now. Joe and I were going to go biking, but one of the tubes in the tires was punctured! =( So then we went to Wal-Mart yesterday and they are restructuring so their whole sports section was amiss. Still no tube!
ReplyDeleteI used to LOVE to bike ride. I would do it everyday. Sometimes by myself or with my family. I loved getting caught in the rain on the other side of the neighborhood. That was the best!
Lydia, I love this poem! You will always remember those moments now, with clarity, since you have this record...
ReplyDeleteYes, I see the "literary choices" you've made. But this one doesn't sound as out-of-breath as the last post. And it seems like it should be!
ReplyDelete@Cliff: Yes, it's 5 miles in 22 minutes. There's a bike speedometer at Wal-Mart for 7 bucks that I want to get, so I can get an accurate speed. And because it's cool. :)
ReplyDelete@Leanna: Remember biking in Kingwood together, and going to Sonic? That was fun. I really enjoy biking, and even the hottest days weren't that bad. I think I'd avoided it before, because I figured there are only a couple of ideal days in Texas to bike. But that's not true.
@Karen: Biking, even though it's fast-paced, is surprisingly relaxing to me. It's a good time to think.