Jerrabomberra
Hard scrabble country with poor soils,
rocky ridges and slopes of scree,
makes for tough riding, slow uphill
and down, picking the safest line,
recovering as wheels slip sideways
on loose rocks or slippery roots
at acute angles, striking pedals
against boulders, losing momentum
facing obstacles, slowing down
to rise up and over fallen trees
and jagged rocks whose propensity
is to rip a tear in the wall of your tire.
I am not the only one who shudders
at the thought of riding here,
and on steep slopes of loose rock,
surrender and get off and walk the bike,
but we all take up the challenge nonetheless
and return for another ride.
Rohan Buettel lives in Canberra, Australia. His haiku appear in Australian and international journals (including Presence, Cattails and The Heron’s Nest). His longer poetry appears in various journals, including Rattle, Unleash Lit, Meanjin, Meniscus and Quadrant.