This Branch Did Not Break (Apologies to James Wright)

Today I rode Arielle, my Mercian Audax, to Greenwich, Connecticut.

I am so lucky:  I had the day this day off, and conditions were perfect, by almost anybody's definition:  It wasn't too warm and on the way up, I rode into a breeze that flickered shadows of leaves and waves of light.  And I sailed home, or so it seemed!

I had no great epiphanies or revelations, just a good time.  And I really didn't want much more. 

But I did notice something that somehow escaped me on previous rides.  Greenwich Commons--the site of the war memorial and some lovely gardens--also has a few big, beautiful old trees.  One of them towers over the gate.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this:

Oh, no!  I cried out loud.  I thought the tree, which has stood for, probably, longer than anything else in the area, had a branch snapped off in a storm.  I couldn't, however, recall any wind or rain we'd had recently that would have been strong enough to do such a thing--unless, of course, one of the storms that missed us in Astoria struck Connecticut.

Turns out, there was no break, no fracture, no rupture.  The branch simply curved downward, possibly from its own weight.  Whether it can remain that way, I don't know.  Whatever happens, I hope it stands long enough for me to see it on another ride, and another, and another...

Celebrating Everyday Rides

I actually studied poetry with Allen Ginsberg.  In addition to what I learned about my own writing, the experience furthered my appreciation for the poetry of Walt Whitman and--although he never mentioned his work--Pablo Neruda.  They, and Allen, are poets who celebrated common things and people.  So did Vachel Lindsay, but I never caught Allen's enthusiasm for his work.

Although Allen himself was never a cyclist, I feel that in some way, it was appropriate for me, as a cyclist, to have worked with him.  After all, cycling brings us closer to the common things (and people) those poets celebrated.  That is probably the reason why my bike tours of the French countryside are among my most treasured experiences.

However, even on a normal commute--or a wide to "unwind" after work, we can see beauty in the quotidian:

Last night, I managed to take a spin down to Sheepshead Bay after work.  I arrived to find these regal and mysterious-looking swans.

And, just a little while ago, I was treated to this sight at the end of the day:

 

If cycling didn't help me to appreciate everyday sights, I don't know what could have!