Poem (sestina) about Touring in Vermont
Mad Tom Road – A sestina about Touring in Vermont
Dusk faded into darkness
On that grueling ride, on Mad Tom Road
It was the hardest I have ever climbed
The hardest this forty-eight year old body has ever been pushed
In the Vermont Green Mountains, sixty-five miles into the day, we were lost
Yet, we persevered and the company of each other buoyed our spirits
In the black night I felt the woodland Spirits
Peering at the lone riders in the darkness
Yet, I was not afraid, and optimism was not lost
Our directions said “continue on” Mad Tom Road
But we had reached a “T” and had to choose – right or left, up or down -- so onward we pushed
Taking the left, we continued and upward we climbed
How difficult this steep hill was that we climbed
Yet, unlike the depression that pulls down my spirits
This challenge of being pushed
In the darkness
On a deserted tree lined, country road
Did not drag me down – hope was not lost
Yet, we were hopelessly lost
Off the bicycles, walking, we still climbed
Until we saw some lights along the road
So guided by Spirits
We followed the lights up the long driveway and out of the darkness
Not knowing what awaited us as onward we pushed
Toward the end, where there stood a small house, each pedal stroke we slowly pushed
A man greeted us with “Howdy, how are you?” I replied. “Lost!”
We stood in the darkness
Were told that needlessly we had climbed
Even so, we were not defeated and held onto our adventurous Spirits
And so, we descended, disbelievingly, down the steep gravel road.
A tangent, a diversion, a mistake was that Mad Tom Road
Yet our meddle was tested, our bodies and minds pushed
And we reveled in the strength of our Spirits
The challenging of being lost
Is how to find yourself – and we did, and climbed
Out of the darkness
Our Spirits as we travel life’s road
Can descend into darkness, yet there are times when we are pushed
Where we see that all is not lost and there is purpose, albeit spiritual, for the mountains climbed.
Pata Suyemoto, PhD
September 2010
