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By Veronica_Milvus
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01 April 2008 |
Near where I live there is a motorbike shop next door to a "greasy spoon" diner. On a summer weekend, crowds of motorbike clubs go zooming past to rendezvous there. Like a flock of swallows. When I see them, I know Spring is really here.
The A4074 is a road between Reading and Wallingford, and I am told that the biker's magazines do refer to the challenging ride being "the eleven bends of death". Certainly there are bad accidents along that stretch, and 50mph limits that are mainly ignored.
EDIT: I should have said, of course that this is based on John Masefield's wonderful "Cargoes". A homage rather than a parody.
SUNDAY BIKERS
Gleaming Kawasaki with a brand new tax disc
Speeding like a demon through Eleven Bends of Death
With a cargo of teenage daredevil show-off
And a pillion-riding passenger who daren’t draw breath.
Easy Rider Harley with a six-speed gearbox
Roaring down the A-roads in a flash of chrome
With a cargo of balding, overweight businessman
Plenty of adrenalin but low testosterone.
Dirty British Triumph with a soot-clogged tailpipe
Backfires down the bypass on a dangerous lean
With a cargo of greasy-haired leatherclad metalhead
Rizla papers, cider and Kerangg magazine.
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Written by stevetroster (1549 comments posted) 1st April 2008 | | Okay, fair enough. You have made your point. I shall take my bicycle elsewhere! | Nice write, refreshing!
Written by punchy (493 comments posted) 1st April 2008 | I can almost smell the leather trousers!
Verse 3, that's a real biker 
We get them down here in sunny sarfend-on-sea every bank holiday monday, as Tony the tiger would say
"Theyre grrreat".
| I like this...
Written by Brett (731 comments posted) 1st April 2008 | ...nice rhythm and imagery, but most of all it brings back my childhood as my elder brother fancied himself as a bit of a Hell's Angel and the front drive of our house was always host to several bikes (mainly British I'm proud to say; Norton, Triumph). Is Kerangg still going? And do bikers still smother their denims in petunia oil? It's been decades since I have smelt that stuff.
Cheers |
Written by Veronica_Milvus (595 comments posted) 1st April 2008 | Patchouli oil, you mean, Brett? Smells like a wet dog in a ploughed field? Used to cover up the smell of dope, so I heard. I was never a biker but I was the secretary of my college's Heavy Metal Society.
And Steve - which one are you then? If the bike helmet fits, mate...
Punchy - I didn't know they still existed - do they still have "Motorhead" embroideded on the back of their demin cut-offs?
LOL | Masefield up to date
Written by patterjack (1159 comments posted) 1st April 2008 |
Careful , Veronica, or you will become the new poet laureate
I note that your work nearly always seems to bring comment on content -- but the form here is so good -as usual - that I am not at all surprised at that , because it is so integral
I am almost inspired to break out a poem about my red terror -- the electric trike that I need for short distance travel !
patterjack
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Written by Josie (2732 comments posted) 4th April 2008 | | Nothing left to say Veronica as my praise has already been said. Well done |
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