I held onto you for dear life,Feeling some sort of protection,
Because you have lived so much longer
Than I have.
My arms wrapped around your waist,
Holding your shirt down as the wind
Tried to lift it off--
Something I was not brave enough to do
To you.
I could smell the soap on your neck
As well as the days hard work
And the food of the Polish girls that you
Live with.
I knew you were peeking at me,
Through your side mirrors to
See what I was giggling at.
The wind molded my face into a
Smile,
And you sped faster to make sure
It never left.
You told me that every time you accelerated,
You could feel my body getting tense against yours.
Did you like it as much as I did--
The exhilaration, the speed, the wind?
I wondered if the black hairs on your arms
Reflected what the salt and pepper hair on your head
Used to be.
I wondered if you felt safe
Wrapped in my arms,
Or when the last time was that you were wrapped up
In a woman's arms.
You told me about your trip to North Adams,
And how you drove around my college.
And something about the foliage, and the mountains.
The wind only let me hear "you and me."
My breasts pressed softly
Against your back and
I tried to listen through the
Disruptive wind as you
Explained why you loved your motorcycle
So much:
You could feel the wind, the rain, the sun.
You could smell breakfast on the back roads,
The fuel in the engine,
The salt in the air.
I wondered if you were really talking about me.
We cruised the Highway
Weaving in and out of traffic,
Just to amuse me.
The wind was blowing my hair,
And I didn't care,
I didn't care.
