No Man's
Land
Less strength is required in a peloton,
Tucked in the draft of a pack of riders;
The protection from the wind,
Managing effort for all the kilometers.
Two large packs form by error,
Or by strategy, or by the elements,
And one rider is caught in the middle;
A position requiring greater resilience.
Stranded in no man's land,
Although sometimes by design
To bridge up to the leaders --
Or just struggling in the Alpine ...
Alone with a bicycle in the playground
Or perched on the highest floor;
Fashioned or fooled by society,
Hearts flatline behind a locked door.
Anxiety is the companion of solitude,
Whether calculated escape or unplanned,
The risk of failure is over the horizon
When stranded in no man's land.
