My Life As An IJ

MY LIFE AS AN IJ is a running personal commentary and observational journal by Corinne Whitney during BikeAbout-the Mediterranean. In this and other postings -- past and future -- you can expect healthy portions of sarcasm, all sorts of pointless ponderings, and some good old-fashioned soul searching to be revealed during these, my ever-sacred spare moments I'm sharing with you, our faithful readers. -- Corinne

HitchBiking

This evening

somewhere

on a Hebron

mini-mountain,

a sad grrl

was seen

pushing her bike

up the hill.

Muddy shoes

and short legs

taking firm strides,

her hands

guide the bike

to an unknown

destination.

A helmet sits

loose and unfastened

atop wet hair,

sending the chill

of the mountains,

the misting,

falling clouds,

and winter humidity

in cold streaks

down

a sweat-soaked

jersey.

Downcast eyes

melt

the salt

on a wet face,

reddened with rage,

humiliation, and

surrender to fatigue.

The first

evening star

taps her shoulder,

reaching over

remaining yellows

of a past sunset,

suggesting

it's time

to put on the bike lights.

An impossible orb

peeks from behind

the closest ridge

with a

laughing brightness

at the darkened

sky,

posing for a

constant companion

delighted

to stop

for photographs.

The frigid air

hosts

a visible conversation,

breath creating

steam

that analyzes

the climb ahead.

She faces

the silhouette

shadows,

watching scattered

pairs of headlights

descending in

switchback

patterns

from the

very

top.

It's dark

and very cold,

well outside the city.

No assurances

exist

for a warm bed

or shelter of any kind.

A frozen thumb

warms itself

in the palm of

a fingerless glove;

deciding.

This is all wrong.

"It's not that steep,

and

we haven't been

on the road

that long.

This is

all wrong."

Denial.

Defeat.

Damn it.

"I hate this."

A car

pulls over.


Itinerary/ Journal	Discussions	Resource Library	eDscape Projects	Scrapbook