Heat radiates from the asphalt
At the local fuel station
I sit in my car
Asleep with my eyes open,
Unfocused on the still, stifling world
Outside the window.
A low roar can be heard in the distance,
Gently coaxing me back
Into awareness.
I don’t bother to look around.
The stranger on his gleaming black mount
Moves into view.
Getting off of the bike,
Putting the machine to sleep,
He gets off and heads into the shop.
So easily; so unaware of what he has,
He simply turns away from
His beautiful friend.
My eyes don’t follow the man.
They rest on the motorbike,
Clinging to the image,
Shifting along the tires, the motor, the leather seat.
There is nothing but the monster
Silently calling.
This happens every time.
I don’t even know how to ride,
I’ll probably never learn,
I wouldn’t cause my family to worry
For my safety, but…
I want to ride.
A thousand times
In only a hundred seconds
I imagine walking right up to the bike
No longer resisting is call
Running my hand along its smooth surface
Admiring its dazzling black glow.
And the feeling becomes so strong
I’m almost brought to tears
My spirit leaves my body
And hangs in the air
Around the lovely machine
As close as I’ll ever get.
The rider returns.
He casually gets back onto the bike,
Fiddling with something in his wallet.
This inexorable urge grips me,
Screams at me, eyes wide.
I can’t help but wish,
Staring at the bike as if to
Draw it closer,
That I could throw the car door open,
Clamber onto the back of the bike,
And say, ‘Ride!’
‘Just take me away as fast as you can!’
With no regard for the obvious danger of
Smashing into a truck,
Getting raped or murdered,
Falling off the back…
‘Just go! Ride!’
But something holds me down,
An invisible close-fitting barrier
Holding me against the seat
A weight on my limbs.
I’m trapped in my body,
Trapped in this life.
In my mind, I shout desperately
At the rider, hoping that somehow
He might hear me.
'Wait! Take me away from here!'
He pauses,
My heart skips a beat.
Putting his wallet away, he starts the motor.
The creature purrs in anticipation.
'Wait for me!'
But of course, they don’t hear me.
I watch out of the corner of my frozen eyes
With my blank expression
As they disappear from my life
Forever.
I wonder
If they would have taken me.
Where are they going?
Obviously,
To a place
That I may never reach.
Author notes
This happens to me every time a guy on a motorbike stops nearby, or if a gang rides past. Oh, why can’t I simply be all-powerful and immortal so that there’s no way I could be harmed by either the bikes or the people who ride them? Hmm?
Comments
-
Magnificent
I can sympathize what you are talking about, either though I myself have never experienced this fear / holding back. I must say I have gotten use to the fact of motorcycles. Because my next door neighbor happens to be a biker. And of course my Dad use, to be a biker as well.
Maybe if you would like to conquer, your fear. You should take it in steps. Find out more information about it. But I can tell you now, the lessons are expensive. Even more now, because they want people safe on the roads.
But I believe this was very well written and punctuated. Not like you need any help with English!
Well done, on another great poem Eph!
Of course, keep writing. *Serebear*. -
Lol, I'm terrified of those things. I won't ride on anything that has a motor and wheels unless its a car even though my uncle offered my 100 dollars to ride on the 4-wheeler. Around here a cars the least of a someone on a motorbikes worries, at least half a dozen people a year die from hitting dear on those every summer in the area where I live.
Love the poem, more free form than what you usually write (yes, I've read some of them).
Adding your comment:
