James B. Kobak Jr. shares another humorous poem about an unfortunate incident involving a bike and three cracked ribs
By James B. Kobak Jr. August 31, 2026
I bruised my buttocks falling off my bike
My old head daydreamed on a new rail trail when Yikes!
Near Lake Clear down tumbled me and bike alike
And I wished while tumbling I’d gone on a hike.
My descent led to a most unsightly sprawl
No touch of elegance to it at all
Quite abruptly down I dropped, as I recall,
Wishing I’d reserved a court for pickleball.
Yes, down I went with limbs askew, pell mell.
They heard my yell in Floodwood as I fell.
In Tupper Lake they counted decibels.
And that I could be swimming there I wished like hell.
On the bike seat nether parts already sore
Which soon began to hurt a whole lot more.
Did I break bones? Are there ligaments I tore?
How I wished that I’d gone snorkeling at the shore.
No soft landing spot for my physique in view
And physics had strict laws for falls, I knew.
What then ensued would leave me black and blue
Wishing I were in a kayak or canoe.
The bike, it seems, survived impact intact
But a doc in Saranac x-rayed my back
And said three ribs of mine had cracked,
As I whisked off torn bike clothes and donned icepacks.
So stranded by daydreams, with hopes belied,
And miles from Placid, lying on my side
With buttocks bruised, but even more my pride
In elder self-abuse ended my bike ride
But as bones and bruises heal, I’ll ride inside
On a stationary bike where I reside
And with mattresses spread out on either side
I can spin in place—and go as far as daydreams guide
The above poem is republished here under the fair use provision of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 107) for nonprofit educational purposes.
The original article can be found at: Poetry: As easy as falling off a bike.
Unauthorized retransmission or republication is prohibited.
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