NANCY WOO

WHAT CAN BEST BE ACHIEVED ON A BICYCLE
—after Benjamin Garcia

I was never much of a bike person.
I had a Cruiser as a kid
but I was never one of them, you know
the type—bike fanatics.
People who wear bike uniforms
and name their steeds.
Until…Meredith. 7 speeds,
baby blue, all mine. Brand new,
$100 off the list price
because of a little scratch.
Now that I have her,
I can’t believe I didn’t appreciate
this art sooner. Wind in my face,
she turns errands into an adventure.
I put my laptop in my basket
and ride the mile to meet a friend
at a coffee shop. No need
to look for parking. No gas,
no pollution. Just lock her up.
My butt might be a little sore
from the seat at first
but I get an easy workout
and feel like I accomplished
something. Now I get it.
I see other cyclists on the road
and now I belong to them,
swift and sweaty, hot
and helmeted, pedaling
wherever I please.
For a few blissful miles, I’m free
from the pit of despair
that threatens to sink me
every day. This simple act
of riding my bike down
the beach path may not be
the panacea for depression,
but it gets me out of the house
and into the sun, whipping
down Broadway on my way
towards a brighter hour,
one hour at a time,
one day at a time,
on the move and not worrying
about what I should do next,
just going until I get somewhere.

Nancy Lynée Woo is an eco-centric poet based in southern California who harbors a wild love for the natural world. She has released a full-length poetry book entitled I’d Rather Be Lightning (Gasher Press), as well as two chapbooks. Nancy has received fellowships from PEN America Emerging Voices, California Creative Corps, Artists at Work, Arts Council for Long Beach, Plympton Writing Downtown Las Vegas, and Idyllwild Writers Week. She has an MFA from Antioch University and a BA in sociology and environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz. You can find her online at nancylyneewoo.com and on social media @fancifulnance.