Along for the Ride
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
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
6 thoughts on "Along for the Ride"
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Awesome. Love the rich details — “Gestures trumping speech”! — and the feeling of freedom you’re able to convey.
Well done!
Thank you!
Loved this motorcycle ride! Very vivid!
Thanks!
I like how on the one hand you sell me on the thrill of the ride but on the other hand you suggest its self-indulgence. makes the poem richer for me
Thank you, Gaby.