Elemental strife
It is an animal that shakes to life,
And floods my blood with elemental strife.
The first fierce thrill cries out: it’s truly alive!
It pulls me onward, makes my spirit thrive.
It bows to no one, lives on its own terms,
My only task: to learn and match its turns.
A great untrained dog surges on the lead,
Its sudden tugs demand I pay good heed.
Pull back too sharp and it will snatch and fight.
So run beside it, harness all its might.
Long-legged, high-geared, it aches to stretch and run,
To thunder freely underneath the sun.
When held in check, downshift without delay,
Forget fifth gear unless you’re cruising away.
Its massive torque brooks no abuse or slight—
Respect its power, ride it pure and right.
They say it’s dancing; yes, I feel it whole,
Yet this bold partner owns a wilder soul—
A big strapping lass who leads the dance,
With strength and fire no partner can entrance.
And oh, the noise! At idle, deep and raw,
The bouncing V-twin snarls like a bull about to gore.
If it had hooves, they’d paw the trembling ground,
A snorting fury waiting to be unbound.
And as it roars, when first the wheels do roll,
The sound and fury strike my very soul.
Raw, unrefined, fulfilling from the start,
It lays claim to my devotion, head and heart.
This living beast will never be made tame—
It burns forever with its primal flame.
© John Dunn.
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From the archive:
Thinking:
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