Old leather

I slip on the old leather jacket pausing a moment to reflect on all the battle scars it has endured over thousands of miles where the rubber meets the road. Yea it’s been a trusted friend for a long time. The sleeves have stretched about as far as they can, and the sheen has been replaced with road rash scars and neglect from the elements. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything….

The horsehair boot brush slowly goes back and forth across the surface of my old boots trying to bring up a shine, but my days of endless brushing have been replaced with a few good swipes to get the road dust off. They have been re-soled a few times, but they fit like a glove and I wouldn’t trade them for anything….

My trusted steel pony awaits me like it has for forty-five years. She’s a bit tired like I am but will start almost every time and take me to places only we can go. I have to carry a toolkit now and some extra parts because every so often it has to break something. yea kind of like me. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything….

I stay on the back roads now too crazy on the super slabs everybody in such a damn hurry to get nowhere. My idea of a nice ride isn’t almost getting killed by a texter. So, I cruise the countryside sharing my time with the trees and cows behind fences. I smell the air and feel the warmth against my face. When I need a break, I pull off to the side and have a smoke. Yea I know but I’ve been sucking on these sticks for fifty some years and I guess I wouldn’t trade it for anything….

Got a picture of her on my windshield, been there a little while now. I took the sissy pad off the back because once she was gone no one else would ever ride behind me. She’s up in heaven now looking down on this old biker. Smiling I hope knowing I still carry her with me on every ride. I feel her with me, I smell her scent and feel her hands on my waist. I talk to her during my rides and I always will. I wouldn’t trade that for anything…

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