I want to speak now of when she reached the meadow,

after a long, tough climb

There was a set of roots that she cleared, then her eyes looked up for the next,

but there was none, just smooth trail

The last roots belonged to a tree close on her left,

then there was another tree on the right,

through its heavy bows

the light of the sun in open meadow

The yellow flowers announced:

one phase of the ride was done

the beginning of new one

She answered

Grabbing the mid chain ring and 3 hard cranks

Power, not to negotiate technicals and the steep

This was different power

Power for speed

Through the gears, faster with each click of a shift

faster with each sweeping arc of the legs

Click

Swish swish swish

Click

Swish swish swish

through most of the cassette, then into the tall chainring

She was flying now, and it was her meadow flying with her

Leaves smacked against the pedals

and her legs

as she whisked by

checkmarks of perfection

Wind made waves in the grass,

her flight through the meadow was a smooth echo of this