Closest to midnight —
We swish past sleepy villages at full speed
coming back from the only bar in town.
Someone somewhere shouts:
“YOLO! You. Only. Live. Once.”
I’m filled with a sense of freedom as I grin widely,
my ears like wings flapping in the air.
An unexpected crescent moon comes into full view.
I throttle the brake so hard, the rear wheel
slightly lifts off the ground.
But I’m in unison
with my cycling partner as we simultaneously
come to an abrupt stop; exquisite is the sensation.
As a late bloomer
who came to cycling very late,
I feel like a pro.
Without a word, we gaze skywards.
After a while, I lower my eyes to take in the 360-degree view:
steadfast forest, quiet country road, field crops,
rising fog, blazing but subtle skyline,
the colour blue, before coming back to settle
on the astonishing moon.
For a moment I visualize a world without suffering:
no war, widespread disease, natural disasters, poverty, prejudice…just peace.
I sigh, because it all seems an impossible dream.
But for now, as we cycle through the night,
silence is limitless love and happiness.
PS. I hope you’ve enjoyed these summer poems and glimpse of my outdoor activities. 🙂 As you’re probably aware, my writing follows the ebb and flow of seasons. So, for the rest of the summer, I’ll continue with Project Find Beauty. But I’ll return to (dark) poetry in autumn. Thank you all for journeying with me. ♥ If you’re new to this blog, welcome and stay!
Exhilarating
I never really learned to ride a bicycle as a kid, as I was always too scared to give it a serious try. Recently I’ve thinking it might be fun to give it a go. Your piece is definitely feeding that feeling. There’s so much joy in it.
Poetry sounds like a natural response when cycling through such uplifting countryside Khaya 💙
As always, so beautiful and peaceful Khaya 💕.
Khaya, this is pure joy! Thank you for taking me on your midnight bike ride. What a thrill. Beautiful photos too, as always. 🥰💜
I bought myself a super cute bike to commute to college later this summer and I am so excited about it! Reading this has me even more excited about the poetic possibilities of the movement. 🙂
“I sigh, because it all seems an impossible dream.” Same. Hope against hope, as “they” say.
I’m so glad you find it so, Mariss. 🙂 Thank you.
Same here, I never got to learn to ride a bike as a kid. I’m so happy you find joy and inspiration from this piece. I hope you give cycling a try, as they say it’s never too late… 😀
Poetry, indeed, is a natural response to capture and convey the thrill and joy of this experience. Thank you, Ananda. <3
Thank you! <3
Thank you for riding along, Natalie. I appreciate your company and comment. 🙂 <3
Your comment immediately brought to mind the poetics of movement. Though this movement is often written about in the context of social/political and cultural context, it made think it’s possible too in the physical and joyous context. How’s that for an inspiration! Thank you. 🙂
Congrats to you for both the new bike and back to college. I wish you all the joy and fun with both!!
Yeah, sometimes it’s all overwhelming and hopeless. But what other choice do we have, except to hope against hope!
Any nighttime escapade is alluring to me – I bet living in the midnight sun region of this Earth, you get to do lots of adventuring in the night – no matter the season.
Wow, Midnight cycling sounds amazing!!!
I’m so glad you find nighttime escapades alluring. And yes, living in the midnight sun region means we don’t sleep much. We make the best of the season, because it’s so short-lived. But then again, you can be sure of long, dark and cold Nordic winters to catch up on the much needed sleep. 😀 Thank you Laura for reading!
Thanks Rajani, it’s really a wonderful experience. 🙂
The cycling high! I want to be on this bike ride.
(YES dark autumn poetry!)