"Obsessive-Propulsive"
I was watching a gerbil
running up one of those exercise wheels.
He seems to like it...
he keeps it up all day.
The gerbil is giving 110%,
and probably feels he’s making good time.
I wonder what he’s late for?
The gerbil reminded me of someone,
and it took me a while to figure out who.
There’s a couple in our neighborhood
who ride bikes constantly...
all day, every day.
Any time you look out a window
you can see them going one direction or the other
around the block.
They never make eye contact with anyone,
and never speak,
even to each other.
They chain smoke while riding.
Their common expression is somewhere between blank and angry...
maybe “annoyance” would describe it.
I don’t think they like bicycling,
but they can’t stop.
I think they’re late for something
and they forgot what it was.
If they could get a Porta Potty
and a crockpot on each bike
they could go on forever.
I keep hoping they’ll hit a speed bump wrong.
Copyright © May 12, 2003 Jack Blanchard. All rights reserved.
