Out of Breath
I rode a bike without
any air in the front tire,
but that did
not stop me
the back wheel was
shaking so bad that
it made the ride
even more rickety
going so fast without
any brakes that I nearly
ran into a tree, I avoided it
and proceeded traveling
perpendicular to the
cracks on the concrete
I stopped myself from
getting hurt in that moment
because the faith in my gut
has never felt so potent
the fight or flight response
kicked in and kept me from
laying dormant, and it helped
when I drove in a new car
becoming cautious
and more confident
there’s been plentiful
times I’ve wanted to
take away that awful
same feeling before,
but you can’t prevent those
things from happening
they come busting
through the door
they yell into your face
as you back slowly into
a corner, with a tail
tucked behind your legs
I welcomed you
into our home,
with lit candles and
cafe music on display
maybe it was
a mistake, but
it was necessary
that you came
to sum up this
retrograde
my vocal chords
are strained
exhaustion surrounds
the shallows of my brain
I’ve been trying to remain
calm throughout this, but
I’ve been so close
to losing my shit
one lesson, out of the many
that I’ve come to know
is that even
when you’re
out of breath or
almost overthrown
you must get back
onto the bike,
and ride like
there’s no tomorrow
I have to be ready,
get set, and go
- Leah Rae