A Tuesday Cycling Ghazal

FM 166 from Tunis 

So what got you out of bed and put you on this road?

 There’s nothing pretty on this trashmarred road

Except the barelegged animal peloton

of locos churning down this heattarred road

Collective rolling vigil for a miracle of tire survival

A flat-free four hours on this glassshard road

Depending on the kindness of strange rednecks

 trucks rumble by inches away on this paintbarred road

Rocks, potholes, animal bones and crappy diapers

 jar teeth and sensibilities on this tractorscarred road

 The peloton is off the Mark and the beast rides away

and I backbow my penitence down this blackhard road. 

 

Mark McGraw   2009