Parallel Poem: Cousin to Cousin

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Well, cuz, I'll tell you:

Life for me ain't been no smooth bike ride.

It's had rocks in it,

And uneven pavement,

And flat tires,

And places with no way of going back--

Ever.

But all the time

I'se been getting back on,

And starting to pedal,

And steering both directions,

And sometimes getting lost,

Where there ain't been no track.

So cousin, don't you stop pedaling.

Don't you walk your bike home

'Cause you find it's hard to keep balance.

Don't you lift your feet of those pedals now -–

For I'se still moving, love,

I'se still steering,

And life for me ain't been no smooth bike ride.

Nature Writing, Narrative, and Self-ExpressionWhere stories live. Discover now