When I was
just a young man
I liked things
shiny and new,
as the years
have gone by
I have grown
to appreciate
a speckle of rust,
a layer of dust,
a mottled patina
middle aged me
has a certain penchant,
not for pretty things,
but rather things
that have been cast aside
as useless and obsolete,
tired things huddled
off in a corner feeling like
they've lived a hundred lives,
maybe because I do too?
oftentimes all it
takes is a little attention
to spark a grand resurrection
I've found
these things are
so eager
to tell their stories
and continue their breath of life
inhale tarnished, exhale cleansed
I seek out and smile at
the perfectly imperfect
and bask in
their greatness of character
I don't mind that they've
lived a hundred lives,
for in my heart
they are reborn and
in a sense, so am I.
A little about this poem: I found this 1959 Raleigh bike on Craigslist in the fall of 2014 for $120. The first picture was the afternoon I brought it home. Over the course of next two years, bit-by-bit I restored it (with the help of eBay, many YouTube videos, and the members of a vintage Raleigh bike club). This was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done as now it's a piece of art that can be ridden...and ridden it is, as often as possible.
I hope you're enjoying the poetry! If so, the best compliment you can give is to share my work with others, either face-to-face or online. I appreciate your continued support!
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ur poem always interesting to read, excellent @ericvancewalton
Middle aged me really appreciates your poem. And my husband has an old green Raleigh!
Please check out the poem my friend wrote... I think it's a hidden gem :)
https://steemit.com/poetry/@goose/hummus-an-original-poem
Thanks, @zenagain. They are the best bikes! What year/model does he have? I'd like to get my wife a Superbe model. I've been scouting Craigslist for a good one. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out later today.
Thanks for checking it out. :) I really enjoyed your poem. Yours is a little deeper than mine.
Raleigh Colt... not sure what year... guessing from the '70s
@ericvancewalton good one :)
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.
great!
lovely poem :D
Thanks!
Perfect! I like it so much!
Great poem.
As we get older, our views, perspective and values change. This poem is a reflection of the changes that we experience as we age
nice one!
Thank you!
Nice bike. This reminds me of the bike Santa bought me during WWII. There were no new bikes because of the war so my Dad restored a second hand one for me and I couldn't have loved a new one more.
Thanks, @team101! I loved the resourcefulness of that era. We could learn a lot from it today. Things were made to be repaired, not replaced.
Nice poem.
I wrote few poems too but nobody like it sobs sobs .
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Спасибо!
I love the poem and I like your meaning behind it. People appreciate things more if they have something vested in to the object You had time and sweat in the bike. I also enjoyed how you saw something special in something that looked weathered
Thank you and you're totally right! I feel that the bike has more worth to me than if it were to have cost $5000. I feel like I've grown as a person from what I've learned in the process.
@ericvancewalton it was so kind of u and thanks for the birthday wishes , Upvote for this poem
You're welcome! I hope you enjoyed your day!
Loved this! I too loved shiny things a child as we are taught. Built this thing into a business. As I learned more I got rid of it all. And went to live in the woods. Such an incredible experience overall. Will work on writing a post on my adventure someday.
Thank you! I'd like to hear more about your adventure. I hope you do write about it!
Your bike and I were both born the same year!
Very good poem. I especially like:
It was a very good year! That's one of my favorite stanzas too. It's easy to feel that way sometimes, especially as a writer. Being a writer isn't an easy existence. I certainly am enjoying my time here on Steemit though. I finally feel as though I've really connected with this audience here. It's a dream come true. Thank you!
Big admirations to you for making a living solely from writing. I'm sure you've paid your dues. I'm happy to see you thriving here. Inspiring!
Thank you, Sir! I'm not quite there yet, @greatdabu. I'll be doing it full time very soon though. I've been working almost 23 years at it.
I also write stories and poem and benchmark set by you on this platform is really really comendable. Always been a fan of your work. Great Poem again.
Thank you very much, @mindfreak. These past few months have been so enjoyable. I really feel like I've found my tribe here on Steemit. There is such a high concentration of creativity and intelligence here.
I couldnt agree you anymore.
But more of such content is yet to rewarded and I feel so happy that this forte is doing so great here. :)