Friday, May 31, 2013

A free-form Ode to the wind

Oh wind, how I hate thee.
You blow. And blow. And BLOW!
You are unseen. I curse you aloud to no avail.
You show no mercy as you affect nearly all with equal vigor.
Your ambivalence to my suffering is only equaled
by your complete and utter contempt for my weakness.
I hide behind stronger riders, but you are onto my
game and shift to a crosswind and relentlessly hammer me still.
I was on travel when you were supposed to arrive and ply your
unending force upon the Central Coast, all for my 'benefit'.
But you saw I wasn't there to torment, so you waited.
And waited.
Upon my return you quickly showed your anger at my feeble
attempt to avoid your annual visit.
I've tried to apologize, but you show no sign of acceptance.
The entire Central Coast suffers at my indescretion.
Even the Tour of California got a taste of your power.
Jens Voigt alone was strong enough to challenge your utter dominance.
He is my hero. He USED you to win. I know this must anger you greatly.
I am delighted at your impotence to slow the great Jens.
Or maybe you are not angered by his sheer willpower in the face of your greatness.
Maybe you acknowledge those rare individuals who are able to laugh in your face.
You reward them with victory. To beat you IS victory. Not many are capable.
I am not. I bow to your greatness. And your evilness. You rule my life.
Sometimes you are not blowing into my face.
Which is rare, and then you quickly show your Devilish nature.
I change direction, and so do you. I can never win.

Yet I am a winner every time I ride.
I defeat you even when I am crushed.
I anxiously await your lessening to 'normal' levels,
but you continue to punish me.
You own me. I am your slave.
You still win.

Oh wind, how I love thee.
Riding with a tailwind is the best thing EVER!
With a simple change of direction you shift from being the Devil to the breath of GOD.
For as long as I keep you on my back, I ride with pure unadulterated JOY.
If only I could ride all the way to the southern tip of South America.
This is your only weakness. And I KNOW it. But you KNOW that I KNOW it.
I revel that you have a weakness.
But you quickly shift your weakness into your strength.
You change directions on a whim, enhancing your dominance.
I cry UNCLE!But you do not relent.

Please, oh PLEASE! GO, and ply your evil self upon others for a while.
I humbly beg you.
Leave me alone.

(for my answer I hear just the howling of the wind).





4 comments:

  1. I swear, when I was in Holland, no matter which direction I was going, I was riding into the wind!

    Great free verse for Friday, Matt!

    Rae

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  2. Thanks Jim, Rae! I've heard others speak of the wind as your training partner., but I just can't seem to make peace with it...I've had my "Lt Dan" moments (when I shout "YOU CALL THIS A WIND?" into it's uncaring merciless maelstrom as I slowly grind my way home). The wind is my bitter enemy, my kryptonite. It crushes my soul. Did I mention I don't care much for the wind?

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  3. It's aggravating. It's like ants at a picnic, a wasp in the outhouse (hey, I said I was poor) If the Wind was my training partner I'd put sand it its embrocation, boogers in its bidon and a squirrel in its spokes. And I LIKE squirrels.

    And yet, there have in fact been times when I turn the corner and there it is, the wind, waiting for me and laughing maniacally and I grunt down into the drops and start grinding it out and suddenly it's gone, or it's still there but I don't care anymore, for some reason. Bt it is aggravating, nonetheless.

    Have you tried reading your poetry to the wind?

    tj

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