Thursday, March 4, 2010

Beholden the Giant -19/02/2010 (Spokenhagen version)

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Just got my bicycle serviced
And now I’m nervous
picked up this Demon
this evening, cleaned
and parts replaced
components upgraded
…with scores to settle.

Heavy metal
shining like jewellery
she’s been feeling the winter neglect
holding a grudge
won't play nice with other vehicles
can smell a car door opening a mile away
rides up gutters like they aren't there
they don't exist!
neither does fatigue
or dark
or up-hills
downhill’s exist though
she squeals with glee whenever we see one.

Laughs at the wind
she keeps taunting it at my expense
she doesn't care about her rider
just uses me to get herself from A to B
She never gets tired
but makes me that way
demands respect
but seldom returns it
powered by sweat
by doesn't recognise it herself.

As hard as I breathe standing on the peddles
there's no end to her greed
the insatiability of simple mechanics
she runs off no battery
needs no petrol
isn't affected by dehydration
cold
or heat
my calories alone
keep her going
And that is all she costs to run.

The world's oil could disappear
oceans die
the air could become unbreathable
she wouldn't care
she can’t be stopped
-all she needs is ground
keeps eating it up
while barely making a sound
she just keeps humming along
knowing it all belongs behind her.

She’s stubborn and unforgiving
unstoppbale
I love her!
but
don't tell her I said any of this
‘cause she'll hurt me.

A mean old horse
with a vicious temperament
never exactly be a traffic stopper,


But she won’t be stopped by traffic either.




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'Spokenhagen' was a poetry slam presented as part of a Sustainability festival run in Melbourne recently. Above was my entry, a re-tooled version of one of my oldest poems.




-Peace





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