we would not be deterred,
even when my uncle would
hang them in trees, if we
left them laying by the
gravel road that wound
around our hill
we would not be deterred,
even when my little sister
hit a tree, one summer day,
popping all her fingernails off,
neatly, leaving pink pulpy nubs
before they bled down her shirt.
no, a bicycle meant freedom
and so we pushed its bounds
pedaling everywhere we went
tires hissing on the pavement
and if you were really daring
you would let go, both arms
out by your side and fly.
we would not be deterred,
but then we grew up,
our bikes sitting in the garage
rusting, why did we
let them clip our wings?
This is a Theme Thursday and Poets Rally post.
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127 comments:
The pink pulpy nubs woulda clipped my wings in short order, at least for a while. *wincing*
Good question... in the end, we have to remember to just let go and be a kid, again.
Your poor sister!
Did your Uncle really hang them in the trees? Too funny.
I used to so love riding my bike too, now I would barely know how to use one! :)
M, they say its just like riding a bike...err...lol.
What determined young things you were! Good for you.
I loved the free flow of this thought. Very cool.
I hit a tree once too! Not fun!
What an interesting uncle you have. I think we need to hear a little more about him!
Then there was me . . . The idiot that let go out of the handle bars and flew . . . and then decided to close his eyes . . . and run into a wall . . . and fly off the bike. LoL :) Thanks for bringing back that memory!
Fun post Brian. I like the picture you create.
another fun post mate, well done enjoy your work :)
So true...why do so many of us give it up? I used to love it. I once crashed so bad I lost my memory for awhile. But I did keep all my fingernails. OUCH!
hey, i never grew up, i still ride mine. But when i tell people i was out riding my bike, they always assume it's a motorcycle. Crazy. And i've crashed so many times in my life it's a wonder i;m still alive. Fun stuff!
Get out and ride, Bri!
pink pulpy nubs would be enough to permanently keep me off a bike!
Abstract one,
I like the first three paragraphs.
They are perfect as one.
The joy of riding bikes can last until one dies...I wish you have your hobby continued in life and in your poem...
Excellent Poem!
I didn't have bikes growing up. I have one now though!! I like the freedom in this writing, I can feel the wind in my hair, and so what if I fall sometimes! I am making up for lost time.
Riding bikes is common when I was young, my father actually learned to repairs family bikes by himself,
yes,reading your uncle hanging bike on a tree, I recall that a bike was turned upside down on the ground with a water pen next to it at home when a bike got flat tires...
your words bring back many old
memories of bike riding, it is essential transportation at times when there is no bus or train available, but people must travel long distances...
animated writing,
i see your whole family having business with bikes and more...
Sweet!
Brian:
Thank you for joining the Rally this week. i appreciate your nomination!
Best wishes!
Have Fun visiting some new poets...
Cheers!
You Rock!
We practically lived on our bikes here in suburbia!
indeed, Brian.....why???
Ahhh - fond memories of riding a bike. I don't actually own one now, but I would like too.
As a kid, I lived on my bike. Went everywhere with it. I still ride.
Great great piece!
I keep thinking about your sister fingers: ouch!
because we become smarter
beware of progress...
oh the memories! freedom is right!
I would travel the furthest corners of the town I grew up in. I loved my bike as well.
A thrilling ride! Oh how I remember those days, no hands, jumping over ditches, feeling a foretaste of freedom. Golden days.
Smart, quirky uncle btw!
I never rode a bike thathard! You were hardcore kids.
Ouchie. pulpy nubs is not a fun time. You gotta put your hands out when you fall. I actually gave this a go this week.
Fun memories, the freedom that bike represented!
Ahhh...when we were kids, our bikes were our ticket to freedom and adventure. This one brought back some awesome childhood memories. :)
My take on the them of "bicycle" is now up...
Hi Brian:)
Your lovely poem took me back to my younger days. When I was learning to ride a bycycle, I hit a man sitting on the roadside.He was drunk and pretended that he was badly hurt. He caught my bycycle wheel and refused to let go until I paid him money for injuries. I had to beg and plead with him to release my cycle. A big crowd gathered and started admonishing me.Finally, the drunkard let the wheel go and I pushed my bycyle fast and ran home. That was a terrible experience.
Subsequently I bought a motor cycle and as you rightly said the bycycle was lying in a corner uncared for and finally I sold it for a song. As you know speed thrills:)I loved riding the motor cycle at break neck speed.
Best wishes:)
Joseph
Hello Brian, I don't know why I am not getting anything in my email letting me know when you make a new post. Anyways I did sign up for them I think. LOL I love your poem on bicycles it reminds me of my younger days. Nobody could ride one like me. NOT ANY MORE! LOL
Yes... also why I have half a fake tooth on one of my front few. ;) Enjoyed that.
great job brian
I have a bicycle in my garage, but I hate to admit it doesn't get ridden very often.
AND .... my "look ma, no hands" days are a thing of the past.
PG
I took all the skin off the tops of my toes once...but we always rode barefoot!
Got in really bad trouble once for trying to ride no-handed. whoa..never forgot that punishment.
We spelled Bike-riding
D-a-n-g-e-r-o-u-s! Too! -J
ugh, pink pulpy nubs. Yikes. You'll have to go to Red red whine to hear about my experience...
and why don't I ride my bike more? good idea...
Don't let them! Get back on the bike! It's still just as much fun as you remember.
Ouch for your sis! I feel for her ...
I still have many deep scars on my knees because I had to learn how to ride a bike on a gravel parking area! But after crying, getting mercurachromed, and maybe a cookie, I'd go back out and try again!
Gosh ... I still love to ride!
You are great with visuals, but I could have done without the pink, pulpy nubs THANKYOUVERYMUCH! LOL!
Did your uncle ever live outside of the Dallas area? There is a bicycle tree there. No kidding. Some guy, for whatever reason, hangs bicycles from two of his trees. He has about, oh, maybe 15 bikes hanging. Seriously! Check back on my post of the Dallas area and you should find a picture!
I love riding my bike, but I don't go too far!
A few years ago my husband got me a beautiful retro-looking bicycle. I always have the biggest smile on my face when I get to ride it and if no one compliments me I complain to my husband and say, "What the hell is wrong with everyone? Can they not see my beautiful bike?"
I haven't ridden a bike in years but I rode one everyday for 12 years!
That is so true that bikes gave us freedom as kids. I remember riding all over the neighborhood with playing cards attached with a clothespin to the spokes. Boy, I thought we were just as noisy as motorcycles. :-)
Nice memories.. except for those fingers.. ouch!
Why did we clip our own wings? Lovely post, Brian. I enjoyed it - as always.
Yes, why did we clip our own wings? Bikes were our means to all ends...all kinds of mischief and fun. But somehow getting around on that bike years ago didn't seem like near the work it is now. :)
Hardwork does pay off,
Enjoy An Outstanding Evening!
See you next time, Brian!
I am excited to see you surrounded by friends of diverse ages, backgrounds, and genders...
Again, thank you for the kind remarks in my place. xxx
Oh, I remember well the freedom of two wheels. I still ride my bike, but it's been years since I went hands-free. Maybe I'll try a little flying this summer :)
I think all my best scars come from bike accidents.
Oh, I don't know why we gave it up. It was such a grand life and we had the world in our hands as we wheeled around.
So visual...very nice Brian. Oh...and some of us kept our wings (and our bikes)...
Brian I'm feeling some pain from this one- Blood and all gushing forth.
Isn't their a limit to the graphic quality on these posts? - lol
Brian,I realize you do not seek, nor need recognition in Blogland. Yet I felt so moved with your writings, that I got carried away and blogged "you" today. Hope it is OK...if not, I'll take it down ASAP.
No harm intended, in any case.
That had to hurt your sister, as for your Uncle hanging them in the tree, that is hilarious....and I don't know
why we let them get rusty, maybe not enough time. I did get one last summer, I don't fare well because of my Cataplexy...falling down. But I will not be deterred. take care.
Funny uncle you have ...... LOL
Enjoy riding a bike
its good for your health ;))
because we got a company car :)
very funny! great post
Filled my head with such wonderful images....why indeed do we let our wings get clipped?? A wonderful and visual poem xx
This brought back memories. I've still got over half a dozen gravel indentations on my knees from one episode when I somersaulted ahead of my bike.
I am going to be SO anxious when my littlun starts riding a bike! I dread to think.
Ouch, popping finger nails off? Oh, oh, oh, that mus have hurt.
I so agree with you on the freedom of a bicycle.;) I recall when I learned to bike and I would pack a small bag and put it on the holder behind the saddle and as I biked around in the neighbourhood, I imagined going on trip around the world.;)
xo
Paints a lovely picture.
I recognize the feeling of freedom and daring.. sometimes flying off over the handlebars...
Great poem!
Self regulation. A terrible thing.
Nice poem though.
too troo
loverly.
I'm wincing at the thought of your sisters wounds.
I love what you have shared here and I'm very much learning to reclaim my wings :)
best wishes
Robyn
i dont know how to ride a bicycle but your poem makes me want to ride one ;)
I lost interest in my bike when I got that little thing called a drivers license!
I remember being fearless on my bike. Wind whistling around my ears, Calves burning! A smile permanently etched upon my face.
Oh the places we explored! Wonderful memory Brian.....thanks!
Hugs
SueAnn
How you bring back the memories, mine was called "Silver" although it was bright red...you have such talent...
still have scars on my knees ;)
Oh the pain your sister must have gone through. I know someone who lost one of her fingernails and it has never grown back correctly. I do hope your sisters grew back properly. But if not I guess she could do what this person does and get the fake nails put on. I have lost part of my fingernails but they always grew back.
When I was thinking about what to post about bicycles, I started thinking about if I even knew how to ride one any more. I decided that I probably did but also decided that I would not give it a try.
I know my hubby still knows how to ride one because a few years ago we were at Costco and he just hops on this bicycle sitting in the aisle and starts riding around. I quickly made him get off before we got kicked out of the store or someone got ran over. Maybe sometime I need to buy him one. I think he wants to feel the freedom and not be deterred by anything.
God bless.
Man I used to go everywhere with my bike. It was a part of me. Now I haven't ridden one in 20 years.
Wow the memories came flooding back after reading your TT as well as all the other TT's I've now read!
I remember many a biking injury too! Scraped knees, de-skinned toes from riding with bare feet, allowing toes to drag on the bitumen if they slipped off the peddles.
And yes...I was one of those dare devils that would let go & throw my arms in the air!! Oh...I did love riding my bike!!
Oh to be a kid again...those were the days.
Ouch...This reminded me of my traumatizing bike accident as a child...I didnt quite pop my finger nails off (ouch) but someone threw a stick into the spokes of the wheels while my bestie (RIP Angie) were doubling up on a 10 speed flying down our hill....I was literally skinned from head to toe....OMG I STILL remember that pain :( And it was the ONLY time my brothers consoled me as a kid by giving me a Pac Man ice cream from the ice cream truck :)
Beautiful! I remember the freedom a bike brought -- whole summer days of riding free.
Of course, that was flat Florida. My children, brought up living on a mountainside, never had that experience.
Did "they" clip your wings? =)
Beautiful poem with beautiful (sometimes painful) memories!
Brian, stop reading! go out and get back on your bike ... no wait a minute, first of course you need to share with us another masterpiece of your writing ;-)
sweet childhood memories, they can be so powerful even in the adulthood ... enjoy your day :-)
Ah, the wanton joys of childhood... you captured them here. I still sport a lovely scar under my left nostril from losing a fight with a gravel road after I fell face first off my first bike.
As usual, a fantastic post! Why don't you get a new bike? I did. I just got one. Of course, the old adage, "It's like riding a bike, you never forget how," isn't holding true for me. Balance is a big issue, as well as pedal brakes. I can't get the hang of braking slowly...I hit them full force and then jump off and the seat hits me in the seat and it's not graceful at all! Happy TT
Well done. :)
Now, go show your bicycle some love!
Hugs/ Jo.
Its time to get the wings out again. Its a wonderful feeling! Ouch to loosing the fingernails. ewe.
Loved my bike....mine was too big for me so dad put some sort of snap on extenders on the pedals where my toes could just reach...of course they would just spin around, but I didn't give up.....
What a writer you are....I always love your blog
We walked a lot when I was a kid. When I grew up and was given a 10-speed I had no idea what to do with it. But then my daughter came along...and she got big enough to ride without training wheels...and I taught her how to fly!
Nice memory.
My bike and I were inseparable, until I grew up. What killed our love affair was a highspeed chase downhill, and the crash at the bottom. Even so, the memories are happy ones. See what you did, Brian, you brought it all back.
Happy Thursday,
It looks very good here.
Technically accomplished, full of vivid imagery. Great stuff!
Sadly, a lot of bicycles are neglected these days. But with a lot of polish and a little ambition, they can fly again.
Sometimes, when riding in the car and we go down a steep straight hill, my internal 10-year-old still holds her arms straight out to the side and shouts "Whee!".
Your poem brings back so many memories of when I was a kid, riding my bike anywhere and everywhere. Now, that was freedom!
Oh, and I almost forgot, you had asked about reading some of my poetry in one of your comments on my blog. Well, I post all my poetry under my Jane Doe pseudonym here at this site if you're interested:
http://writerjanedoe.blogspot.com/
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! the fingernail thing made me cringe then freak out like nails on a chalkboard.. wow.. you are a good writer..LOL
I rode with a cycling club for many years as an adult. Then the traffic got so bad that it became dangerous. So I stopped. I wish that there were more bike friendly places.
sweet childhood memories.a lovely poem Brian.
That's how we got around until driving licenses...
Having had a fall or two off my bike in my time, I have discovered that riding a bike does not give you wings.
Pulpy fingertips, maybe, wings no. Wings are a sad illusion.
I biked everywhere growing up before I got my driver's license.
My friends and I would pedal for miles and miles -- a 20 mile bike trip was nothing -- and the bigger the hill to ride down, the better.
No helmets, just wind rushing in our face. I loved that feeling and now I guess that's why dogs love sticking their faces out of the window of a moving car.
I love riding my bike, and hopefully I'll keep doing it for a long time to come. :) Happy tt!
Love this
"rusting, why did we
let them clip our wings?"
I use to hit the same tree over and over the first summer I learned how to ride a bike.
Great Poem!
Gerardine
Love it :)
OH the FREEDOM and INDEPENDENCE a bicycle brings! Still LOVE to ride my bike!!
awesome :))
loved the flow
very nice!
a wonderful post. i remember riding my bike when i was young...but did 'they' clip our wings or did we?
doing well here. hope you are as well.
Good god, Brian, I can't even find the bottom of your comments anymore :).
I miss my bike. The one with the pink basket and big banana seat! hah ;)
why, indeed! i wonder if we confuse being childlike with being childish? perhaps we are too busy or self-concious to keep riding, especially with our arms out to the side? you are so right, it was our ticket to freedom...to being free! very nice theme thursday, brian, very nice!
Oh, the pink pulpy nubs made me wince! Excellent, Brian!
Wish I'd thought of hanging them in trees instead of backing over the damn things! I don't think we had our wings clipped, we just learned how to drive!
http://itistimetothinkformyself.blogspot.com/2010/04/from-friends-to-friends-awards.html
Best Wishes for Friday 55,
Happy Thursday!
Awards for you.
yet again mate spot on....I said in on eof my pieces once "with age comes restraint"..why DO we do this?
Excellent poem that left me reflecting cheers Pete
did I say restraint? I meant constrainst...cant even get my own work write....
I never learned how to ride a bike. It's something I've always regretted.
write was a spelling joke....
Really great! I grew up in a small town and have great memories of riding my bike everywhere. It provided an amazing sense of freedom from a very young age.
Brian, I enjoy coming and reading your blog more and more. Thank you for sharing from you heart. Blessings.
I had two accidents on a bike when I was a kid and it never stopped me from getting back on!!
Great post!!
Me like.
most threw up with the pink nubs. BRIAN! lol. Was that completely necessary? lol
It's been years since I've owed a bike. But great memories of years past!
this is great imagery.
and you made me wince with my own memory of going down a too steep gravel ridden hill, and flying over the handle bars and ... oh that scab filled summer.
been there done that for years :) :) i just loved my bicycle.
although my stomach did a flipflop after reading about the fingernails, I loved this because I lived every word of it. (Now that's narcissistic).
Our bikes meant freedom and were most often (pretend)horses.
I rode my bike straight into the back of a car once...fingernails stayed intact.
:)
This poem, although I thought it brilliant, made me so sad. It brought home to me how age does indeed 'clip our wings'.
ouch that image will stay with me!
its true though, I still get that feeling with my bike
I remember that feeling of freedom on my bike. It was like flying....
People in Boise are trying to make the bike thing trendy again. I would imagine it isn't just here though. . . . it's fun. I miss riding my bike-- It really was a means to some level of freedom when you were that age.
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