summer ascension

summer ascension
2/4/2008

a rainbow dangles around my neck
swaying awkward below hard breaths
as I thrust my feet down on slick pedals

frayed and stringy at its ends
it waggles inches away from
disastrous entanglement with wire spokes

we wobble up Hopewell hill, aiming
at tar blisters risen in the August heat
popping them like other kids' bubble gum

head down, I watch shadows wilt behind
and listen to the Bassetts' hound
yowling how much farther to the top

minutes seem like hours but we arrive
and discard our bikes at the curb,
a temporary graveyard of rubber and steel

we join the other pilgrims
thirsting for childhood summer relief
our bare feet sizzling on concrete

I add my rainbow to the patchwork quilt
and skip off to join the procession
that ascends to the diving board.

One of my writing goals for 2008 is to write at least one light verse or poem every week in addition to my haiku wednesday and fiction friday posts. I will try to do this on Mondays.