Darkness behind my eyelids

Earth experiences the same darkness

As the sun’s light is captured by the moon

My curtains of flesh rise with the sun

As it illuminates my surroundings

I realize my journey will begin soon

My movements are slow at first

Muscles hindered by the morning cold

And still damp from the morning dew

Mother wipes away the dampness

Tells me to get dressed

And says I have so much to do

Father nudges me; encourages me forward

I must prepare. I must prepare

My parents teach me everything they know

The morning begins to warm

And my movements are quicker now

No more time for preparing. It’s time to go

I hesitantly wrap my hands around the handle bars

And clumsily step left foot onto the left pedal

Father and I meet eye to eye

He gives me a gentle, yet powerful nod

I slide my jaw slightly to the left

A deep breath in lets out a deep sigh

I re-grip the handle bars

Letting the dense rubber dig in to my fingers and palms

My eyes wander down to the checkered line I stand behind

I quickly look up and to the left, seeing a man in sight

He is holding a gun and my heart starts to beat vigorously

BAM! It goes off. It’s time to pass the line

My right foot kicks off with the strength of five bulls

My bike begins to roll forward. I am in motion now

As my right foot crashes down onto the right pedal

I push down with the right. I push down with the left

My chain must be lubricated perfectly

I hear no squeaking or grinding metal

The road is freshly paved and level

The tar fumes waft up into my nose

As the sun continues to rise

A few birds sing to me

Blue jays are camouflaged by the blue sky

I look left with my eyes

I see people caged in inside a building

Riding a bike with no wheels

They don’t really know what it’s all about

Yeah, they might be getting their exercise in

Getting their bodies fit working in

But they sure aren’t working out

 

Ah, so beautiful is the scenery

Enveloped by the greenery

Riding and rolling along with ease

Yes, my body and mind begin to appease 

All the while I smile still

As the ball of light rises above the hill

I feel such warmth on my face

And ease into a steady pace

Oh, those people inside are missing out

They really don’t know what it’s all about

I pedal and pedal. I ride along

My muscles are warmed now and feeling strong

I can feel the sun lay its hand on my hair

A feeling that I could never compare

The sun stares directly down at me

It’s as good as it will ever be

 

But then I begin to approach the hill

I remember Dad say “there’s a way if you have the will”

I look up to see him standing in the crowd

My hands tighten down

Pushing pedals harder towards the ground

Dad, I’m gonna make you proud.

My mother is standing next to him

I feel a surge coming from within

I say, “I’ll make them proud” with all my heart

As my eyes examine my father’s face

I realize something is out of place

I hear the blast ring in my ears from the start

My mind begins reeling

And I am overwhelmed with an incredible feeling

As I pan now to my mother’s face

The bikers pass me

And I realize I must be

Competing in a fierce race

 

I’ll admit I’m biking with less ease

But the course is still a breeze

As I work my way towards the front

I look at the other bikers and I can tell

My parents had trained me well

I hear the other bikers grunt

People offer water; the warning I didn’t heed

It’s something the other bikers need

I can see them dripping water mixed with salt

Although I’m not winning

My lips and teeth are still grinning

As their overexerted muscles bring them to a halt

 

More bikers behind me now,

Less bikers in front of me

Surrounded by rolling fields

In the distance is one tree

I look down and see four hands

There must be two me’s

I look up to see fields

In the distance are two trees

 

A bead of sweat

Perched on the side of my face

Back feeling exceptionally wet

Can’t slow down in the race

 

A warming gentle spirit

Now a blazing, hazing sun

Tormenting the biker’s run

Now I begin to fear it

A drink of water doesn’t clear it

Chapped lips; now I’m the parched one

Cotton mouth can’t be undone

The warning! I didn’t adhere it!

 

I must continue. I must.

I can feel my skin seer

And begin to believe and fear

That I will soon spontaneously combust

 

Make my body and mind able

Lay it all out on the table

Parents told me to save nothing for the end

But I can’t! Loss of nutrients! I’m shaking

Vision blurry and muscles aching

An approaching storm could be my friend

 

The temperatures cool. Ah relief

But again, I am in disbelief

Be careful what you wish for

Dark clouds bring strong winds

And the rain begins

A slight drizzle turns to a steady pour

 

An anticipated friend, but again an enemy

As the driving rain battles me

So detrimental and corrosive

Face stinging from the rain

Distracted by my grinding chain

To metal, the properties of rain are erosive

 

Colder and colder, my muscles now differently shake

But I can’t stop. There is no break

Haven’t stopped from the morning wake

There is way too much at stake

 

Grrr! I grip down harder on the bars

Body out of juice but brain is good so far

Like my hands, my eyebrows and face tighten down

As I push my feet harder towards the ground

 

Another obstacle ahead

As my wheels enter onto a stone bed

Now losing traction on this steep hill

I push harder, increasing my heart rate

Fatigued muscles make joints compensate

But there is a way if I have the will

The last biker ahead of me begins to stop

I must pass him and reach the top

I promised my parents I’d make them proud

I’m so close. I’m so close

But pain is on overdose

I can see the finish line with a swarming crowd

As my bike surpasses the biker I shout

My body has finally given out

Intolerable pain reduces my bike’s speed

I push down on the pedal once again

So close to the race’s end

A tear mixes with the rain as I proceed

Persistently my bike is slowing

My mind deceives my body to keep going

A want and desire turns into a need

It’s too much. I close my eyes

And connect to where my soul lies

I must win. I must supersede

A burst of anger… love…so surreal

There is something different inside me I feel

Exhaustion, pain, hunger, and thirst begins to recede

 

A surge of adrenaline flows through my veins

Surpassed the heat. Surpassed the rains

Surpassed the aches. Surpassed the pains

Surpassed the mountains. Surpassed the plains

Surpassed corroded, grinding chains

I’m the only one left, the one who remains.

 

Exhausted, I collapse into the mud

Wheezing deep and slowing of my blood

Can’t feel cold; can’t feel heat

The world is spinning and spinning

I no longer dream of winning

As I feel myself be lifted to my feet

“You look as if you’re almost dead

Must have a crazy mind or a stupid head

I don’t know if it is you or I that has been beat”

 

A smile creeps across my face

Knowing I gave it all in the race

Even though it has brought me to my end

I would rather have an ending to embrace

Than to settle for a slower pace

So that my body was good enough to race and lose again

 

The rain has turned into a cold snow

I can feel I’m nearing the end as the clouds cover the moon’s glow

I sit on the bike and lift my feet from the ground

I turn around at the finish line and regress back down