11,000 times a minute

Eleven thousand times a minute the crank goes around and around. Eleven thousand times a minute the pistons go up and down. Suck, squeeze, bang, blow is the sequence that makes the Blue Meanie go. A gasp of air comes in and goes out. Over and over again the process repeats itself. Almost three thousand liters of air and a few drops of fuel mixed to perfection and used all up. Every minute this goes on as I ride past the people in their wheeled boxes. I hear the sound of the wind, feel the warmth of the sun, smell the tortillas cooking at the bakery. There is no radio, no cell phone calls, nothing to distract me from the world around me. There is speed and motion, sunlight and warmth. I feel the pitch, yaw and roll and I am focused. I am focused on the imminent dangers and the unparalleled pleasures around me. Eleven thousand times a minute the crank goes around as I ride.


Text © Crownedstoat – All rights reserved
Crankshaft photo courtesy of Wikicommons - Alex Kovach