Steve McQueen
Fueled by the freedom of the open road
racing away from routine’s grasp
leaning tightly into curves
wind whip’n long hair
the knees tucked
head bent low
motorcycle
rockets
loving youthful revolution
living in the moment
not counting time
not worrying
just being
free
¥
*
rob kistner © 2023
Poetry at: dVerse
The 4 motorcycles I have owned & the 1 Moped.
I was just talking to My Beloved Sandra about that movie. Sadly, our conversation started with me asking, “Hey, what was the name of that movie about…”
Never been drawn to actual bikerisitics myself, but…way back when I’d sit for hours on end behind the wheel, flipping a coin every time I reached a new town whether to turn left, right, or just keep diggin the show straight ahead.
You nailed that here, brother; thanks.
Thank you brother Ron! I had a cycle from age 16 until I turned 58. Loved loved loved to ride!! in 1970 I took a break from my band, and me and my three best friends spent the entire year on our cycles. Rode from Ohio out through Colorado, on to California. Then down the coast and through the Southwest. Spent a lot of time in Tucson. Then we came back to Ohio. Started that long wonderful journey on a Triumph 650 Bonneville motorcycle, then traded that in Boulder CO for a Honda 750. That’s what I finished the trip on, and kept that bike for years before getting my final bike — a psuedo cafe style 1982 Honda CB1100F. It was a rocket ship! We put over 10,000 miles on our motorcycles on that 1970 trip around the USA. We would camp along the way, or we would find communes and we’d stay there. 1970 communes were quite plentiful, and pretty friendly to us long haired motorcycle hippies. Ran into the occasional redneck hassle, but the 4 of us were big enough to handle ourselves. The only other issue was we had to be careful with our stash if cops came around. I was as tanned, weathered, strong, and rugged looking as I ever was in my life after that journey. Really miss not having a motorcycle, but I couldn’t handle it in my physical situation of recent years. Great memories though!
Rob you brought Easy Rider up close and personal with your comment. I learn something new about you every day.
Lisa, having been here on spaceship Earth for 76 years, and having been in a state of constant, hyperactive, reasonably fearless curiosity and exploration — I have ultimately done a shitload of “stuff”. I sometimes look back and shake my head. I packaged probably 10 separate lifetimes in my life. I sure as hell did not get cheated here on my journey.
what a great story! You were the real thing!! :>)
🙂
Wow what a really nice read.
Much????love
Thanks Gillena… 🙂
Born to be Wild came to mind as I read your Quad Rob. Then I saw that you included it. Good one my friend. Hope all is well with you.
Thank you Christine. I am doing good. My wife Kathy goes for, what we hope will be her final cancer operation this Friday. This one on her throat. That woman is strong and brave as hell.
Great poem and I loved the “shaped” of this poem as well. Nicely done Rob.
Thsnk you Arcadia… 🙂
What a ride! Enjoyed your quadrille, Rob 🙂
Thank you Lynn, I am pleased… 🙂
A great poem, Rob. Wonderful memories for you to recall!
Thank you Dwight… 🙂
I love the shape of your quadrille, Rob, which makes it look longer than 44 words. It took me back to my life in Cologne with my best friends who were bikers. In fact, Uli had a garage full of various bikes which he maintained with loving care, and he loved old British bikes, especially Nortons, but he mainly drove a BMW. When he died, he left them all to his brother. It reminded me of the first time I watched Easy Rider, with Uli and Ellen, dubbed into German! I have seen it in English too! I remember ‘leaning tightly into curves / wind whip’n long hair’, but mostly I rode in a sidecar with their dogs.
Love what you just shared here Kim, thank you! 🙂
Rob, so enjoyed this ride with you!
Sending best wishes to Kathy for her scheduled surgery.
Thank you Punam… 🙂
I miss going on motorcycle rides.
So do I Melissa — so the hell do I… 🙂
Whoosh! Letting out a breath of air … my oldest and youngest sons both had cycles a decade or two ago. Putting Mama on their cycle’s back was quite the rush for Mama and Sons … I can tell you! Great Quadrille, Rob.
Thank you Helen. I would be high as a kite on adrenaline after a day taking my 1100F divng into sme open country twisties and turnies. No feeling like it. I held on to my “crotch-rocket” as long as I could, until family insisted It was no longer safe for me because of my health.
I love the sense of freedom, never had a motor bike myself, but I have been a few longer trips on a bicycle, and there is something special about living on two weels only
So many times I dream (day even night) about the 3 dimensional rush that occurs, deeply leaning an MC into a curve at 70 MPH, out on the open road — just too many physical issues to ever be truly safe on 2 wheels again. However, I have drooled, more than once, over the thought of a 3 wheel CanAm Spyder.