this post by mark kerlin would probably have gone by, unnoticed by many.  and yet that is not correct.  underappreciated by the average mid-atlantic rider, language is the basis of so much that we do.  maybe part of the reason the revolution is not coming along as nicely as we had hoped is that you all are having problems expressing yourselves.  look at kerlin...

Riding track bike.
Looking down fiddling with toe straps.
Crash into back of parked car.
Broke three teeth, bent fortk. Larry Black bends fork back, bike then rode
better than before.
I recommend Dr. John Martin Turner, DDS at 1800 Eye St., NW.

this is beautiful free verse.  you think i'm kidding, but i'm not.  check it.  on the second line, the words seem to lollygag, the syllables flowing easily, one into another, like a stream meandering, or a stoned courier weaving around in traffic.  you can picture the beautiful spring day, just out spinning on the bike, and then, wham!!!!  the third line is blunt, stacatto, matter of fact.  reality hits you in the same way the rider hits the car.  the damage is severe, and yet there is a silver lining.  and the lighthearted referral in the last line leaves one knowing that the rider has moved on with life.  many messages may be taken from this text. 

so with this we initiate the racing union poetry contest.  we are fleshing out the details, but we have actual prizes and we think we have an actual poet to use as a celebrity judge.  you must submit your poems by email to poetry@racingunion.org.  there are no formal rules.  express yourself as you see fit.  please avoid being profane simply to be profane: this is a family oriented blog.  we'll post updates as we accumulate prizes and might even have a brief interview with the celebrity judge.  be sure to provide some sort of contact info.  any anonymous poems will be deleted.  you may use a pseudonym, and we will publish the poem with that, so long as we can link the poem back to you.

and now to kick things off, after reading the second half of kerlin's email, with it's considerably less poetic description of a race mistake, i offer a haiku interpretation of his day in reston. 

overcooked the corner
too much speed, too little tire
not brave, but reckless.

two wheel drift.  Uh oh….
muscles the bars over.  too much!
pavement and skin meet.

see kids, it's easy.  now get there and see what you can do.

- - - posted by scott