The engine purrs

I smell the exhaust
I straddle the seat
And make the Sign of the Cross
 
I never imagined 
I’d be a rider
So, I hold on tight
And trust the driver
 
Speeding down a straight-a-way 
My borrowed jacket, puffing up with air
Hair flapping behind my helmet
Oh, how the weather is fair!
 
The sky is baby blue
With billowy clouds of white
The sunshine warms my body
While the speed feels like flight
 
I breathe in honeysuckle
It floats on the breeze
A bug meets its demise 
On one of my denim-clad knees 
 
I spot bare ground beneath a tree 
Evidence of livestock’s happy repose
Then we turn a corner,
And the smell of a carcass meets my nose
 
Onward to horses and hay bales
And to a gentle river ahead
We pause to watch a ferry
Gotta get back home – so children are fed
 
I’m a little more confident
On our return
But my back begins to hurt
And my knees begin to burn
 
I also recall responsibilities 
But then, let out a sigh 
Sometimes it’s nice
To just be along for the ride 
 
I lean into corners
I study pastures, trees, and creeks
I wave to other drivers
And enjoy gesture trumping speech
 
As the sun begins to set
We return to our three beauties 
I take off my helmet, shake out my hair
And return to domestic duties