.
.
.
Against the grain
.
wind filled
of whole cloth
legs fading
.
.
tire cut on
broken drain legs scraped
on the street
.
Pushing
.
wind sprint
till ribs crack
again again
.
Heading south, 6:00 PM
.
each engine stinking
in the heat
.
Summer drizzle
.
rain chilled
sweat it off on
the first sprint
.
Summer rain
.
water on the road
in the air in the lungs
coughing
.
Up Mass Ave.
.
exhaust harsh
lungs tight in the heat
holding a line
Marginal
.
vine whipped
along the road edge
raising welts
.
Going hard
.
something cracks
in the drive train
going softer
.
Flowers
.
road kill
attar of rose blossoming
fear
.
Dehydrating
.
worm tube
from mouth to anus
clamped to the seat
.
---
.
piss thick
condensed with effort and
acid burn
.
Charles River Light 7:00 AM
.
water blinded
mind in pieces as
breath rasps
.
On hot streets
.
cerebellum balance
in some time place
just this one
.
---
.
white matter
jittering with bike
arms eyes legs
.
---
.
grey soothed
motion hyped
reaction time
.
Reaction time
.
car shear
sharp hot metal
much too close
.
River ride
.
water blackened
mind blackened the wind
eating strength
.
---
.
light dappled
green always moving
with breath
.
---
.
leaf tannins
pooled in quiet
between roots
.
Road work
.
tar’s off
bitumen pitch in the road
sticks
.
---
.
exhaling carbon
the world warms
muscles rest
.
Charles east of River Bridge (Boston Side)
.
gorge choking
on small flies still
having to breath
.
No rain
.
trail dry
dust hangs a moment
in the wind
.
Clean ride
.
wheel balanced
around the spokes
singing
.
Sullen weather
.
thunder lurking
in the drenched air
pushing in
.
A change in the weather
.
cooling soft
across the bridge
fine rain
.
Hard, Hot
.
lungs full
not satisfied trying
to breathe more
.
---
.
fresh sweat stings
eyes half blind
going uphill
.
Fatigue
.
going slowly
into the wind
ground down
.
Distant storm
.
sullen heat
dripping from the sky’s
slow static
.
Summer passing
.
some limit
of applied force
turning the wheels
.
---
.
tired on the bike
even the slightest hill
dulls the edge
.
---
.
sun shorter
as the distance home
fades away
.
.
.
Most of these were composed as I rode around Boston, in to work along the Charles and home up Massachusetts Avenue, or on longer rides to the west. I struggled on the bike this summer, never really built up good endurance, as one can see in the lines. Not sure why. I need to ride more of course, always need to ride more, but I am aging and distracted. Cycling helps me to centre and at the same time to open up and drift on lines of thought that get woven into the rhythm of my legs, lungs, heart. Crossing distance increases the duration of my life and let's me bring more into each (longer) moment: moment, movement, momentum all share the same root - to move, which traces back to push, but also Kamah-Mutah (to be moved by love) - all extracted from Klein's Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language.
.
Photos by Yoshie Hattori 2009