My Bicycle Chopper

At age 11, I saw my first chopper

coolest thing I had ever seen.
The rider was coming over,
taking out our pretty neighbor Darlene.

That night I had an idea.
It came to me loud and clear.
The idea couldn't be brighter,
even if the sun was in here.

I could build a chopper from my bike,
impress our neighbors daughter.
Make money cutting grass,
build my very own bicycle chopper.

It needed to have a long front end.
found some tubing and welded it in.
Had to be careful with this,
because I didn't want it to bend.

I needed a seat, a cool one,
like on the real chopper I'd seen.
A banana seat would fill the bill.
Kinda similar to the King and Queen.

A chopper wouldn't be a chopper,
without a long sissy bar.
Found all the parts I needed
from last years old race car.

On any righteous chopper,
the handlebars must be high.
Ape hangars they called them then,
like you're reaching for the sky.

The paint was all that's left.
The seat was red white and blue.
Decided to continue that theme.
Lo and behold, the bike was through.

Popping wheelies was a breeze.
Tight turns were giving me fits.
The other kids were starin',
had never seen anything quite like this.

I rode that bike for another year.
To me, it was a show stopper.
Had the time of my young life,

building and riding, my very own bicycle chopper.

R. S. Morris