This Typewriter Rodeo poem came by request from Texas Standard listener Pete Ramirez. His request was for a poem dedicated to “the love and joy of riding a bike.”
Riding A Bike
You can have your Tesla
With its self-driving
G-force lurches
Me
I prefer to make
My own choices
And see the scenery I pass
And not be limited
To roads
Where it’s just me
And the simple pedals
You should have to work
At least a bit
To get somewhere
(Here’s looking at you, scooters)
No, give me
These sturdy handlebars
The feel of dirt or grass or smooth pavement
The satisfaction
Of a good uphill climb
The windswept catch of joy
From a downhill coast
So hop on
Join me if you like
All the choices are ours
And the world
Is our rolling
Ever-shifting
Well-earned
Journey.
Typewriter Rodeo airs each Friday on Texas Standard. Send us your ideas for a poem on 
