I’m wondering –
If I were riding my bicycle
in the Tour de France, a little
ahead of the Peloton
with a chance of winning a stage,
this stage, Stage 7 or 9 or 12,
and rounding a turn I came upon you
standing at the side of the road,
clapping and cheering the riders on,
so distracting in your peach-colored dress
or your pure white slacks and tight tank top,
would I be able to finish the race,
or even continue one more mile? No,
I don’t think so, I don’t think so,
I don’t think I ever could.
*Michael Estabrook is a baby boomer who began getting his poetry published in the late 1980s. Over the years he has published 15 poetry chapbooks, his most recent entitled When the Muse Speaks. Other interests include art, music, theatre, opera, and his wife who just happens to be the most beautiful woman he has ever known.