T was the master of steering, gear shifting, balancing, braking and dismounting but I had to be attuned to his every move. Until now, I had seen my contribution to the tandem relationship as somewhat inferior - I simply put in the necessary leg-work to help to heave what is quite a clunky beast up the all too frequent hill…
T was the master of steering, gear shifting, balancing, braking and dismounting but I had to be attuned to his every move. Until now, I had seen my contribution to the tandem relationship as somewhat inferior - I simply put in the necessary leg-work to help to heave what is quite a clunky beast up the all too frequent hills in God's Own Country. Some call the tailgunner the stoker and one seasoned cyclist we got into conversation with over coffee and cake, said he had ridden a tandem many times and had sat in both seats; he much preferred being at the helm, he said, and how Tallulah would be nothing without me. I was the engine, he said. I wasn't sure about that, but I did start to take a delight in my newfound strength and stamina. When we mastered the art of standing on the pedals so that we could power our way up some of the sharper inclines rather than relenting and getting off to push, I felt exhilarated. To think, in another life it had so often been said that I didn't have a musical bone in my body and here I was singing a duet that had my new love and I sweeping, gliding, tilting, leaning into the wind or riding on its coat-tails. I soon learned that the wind was very much the conductor of the pieces we played, often challenging us, but occasionally putting down the baton just to see what we could do when left to our own devices. To think he, the tormentor in that other life, had also scorned my body, saying that pregnancy and childbirth had ruined it. Now look at me! I was music. All 206 bones of me.
What a gorgeous life-affirming piece, Claire - made all the more powerful when you reveal in the last lines what you had pedalled/sung yourself free from. I love the timing of receiving this too - just a day after my silver wedding anniversary, when Nye & I were wondering if there was anything we could buy in this coming month to celebrate our milestone (we neither of us want for very much). A tandem was the only thing we could think of - and now the coincidence of this from you feels like a sign to give it a try!
The Bones of Me
T was the master of steering, gear shifting, balancing, braking and dismounting but I had to be attuned to his every move. Until now, I had seen my contribution to the tandem relationship as somewhat inferior - I simply put in the necessary leg-work to help to heave what is quite a clunky beast up the all too frequent hills in God's Own Country. Some call the tailgunner the stoker and one seasoned cyclist we got into conversation with over coffee and cake, said he had ridden a tandem many times and had sat in both seats; he much preferred being at the helm, he said, and how Tallulah would be nothing without me. I was the engine, he said. I wasn't sure about that, but I did start to take a delight in my newfound strength and stamina. When we mastered the art of standing on the pedals so that we could power our way up some of the sharper inclines rather than relenting and getting off to push, I felt exhilarated. To think, in another life it had so often been said that I didn't have a musical bone in my body and here I was singing a duet that had my new love and I sweeping, gliding, tilting, leaning into the wind or riding on its coat-tails. I soon learned that the wind was very much the conductor of the pieces we played, often challenging us, but occasionally putting down the baton just to see what we could do when left to our own devices. To think he, the tormentor in that other life, had also scorned my body, saying that pregnancy and childbirth had ruined it. Now look at me! I was music. All 206 bones of me.
What a gorgeous life-affirming piece, Claire - made all the more powerful when you reveal in the last lines what you had pedalled/sung yourself free from. I love the timing of receiving this too - just a day after my silver wedding anniversary, when Nye & I were wondering if there was anything we could buy in this coming month to celebrate our milestone (we neither of us want for very much). A tandem was the only thing we could think of - and now the coincidence of this from you feels like a sign to give it a try!
Here is your link:
https://thecureforsleep.com/august-issue-sizeshape/#claireeverett
Txx