Bicycles and Me

Katie sings of bicycles,

nine million in Beijing.

Can you imagine all those bells,

if they should start to ring?

An orchestra's obnoxious sound,

a jarring, noisy din.

Can you anticipate the hell

of parking in that place?

You'd need to know your bearings well

to find an empty space.

And then you'd have the problem of

retrieving one you own.

How would you find the one that's yours

when all of them are cloned?

I'm thankful that I've room to move,

with air that's clean to breathe.

I'm thankful for the birds that sing

in woodlands deep in trees.

And though I've been and seen Beijing,

was pleased that I could go,

I couldn't wait to travel home

to country views I know.

Reviews

[Neville]

I really like that old song, and remember hearing it for the first time .. it's one of them that grows on ya, isn't it .. unlike your little dedication to it and subsequent thoughts on the matter .. which I enjoyed from the off ........................................... it kinda rings my bell anyway, ting-a-ling and toodle oooh :)

[Chris Shaw]

Better late than neva. How did I miss thanking you? A sorry my friend.

Chris

[Neville]

no worries .. have a good day Chris :)

[Stella Armour]

I love Katie Melua's songs , this is a lovely tribute to her in a way :)

enjoyed the flow as i read your poem , and yes i much prefer open spaces with lots of lovely fresh air ..

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Stella. Yes I love her singing too. She has a beautiful, gentle voice and sings with such clarity. Composes all her own songs too.

[Paul Bell]

I must admit. I'm always amazed at the Chinese and their bikes.
I to couldn't understand how they managed to find their bikes, cos they all look the same.
I then sort of concluded that because all the bikes were the same, they just took any bike.
Need some Chinese people to confirm this before I get my merit badge.

[Chris Shaw]

Hey Paul, maybe you're right. I hadn't thought of that. Thank you kindly for the visit.

[.]

Another finely flowing poem.....

China is certainly on my bucket list. I hope to visit one day. And having been to India with a similar population, i don't think I would have an issue with the limitations of space. Though it is something we do take for granted in our own free sprawling countries. Population density and development encroaches however, and soon those open spaces may be no more.

A fine piece of writing.

[Chris Shaw]

It's well worth the visit, The Great Wall, The Summer Palace, Tianamen Square. Lots to see and in the meantime I'll keep appreciating the open space we have before it disappears. Thanks for your review.

[Phill Oz O'fee]

Wonderful light and easy read - flowed just right! I ended up smiling afterwards. No place like home ..... ahhhhh! P.S. - heard a rumour they were changing over to unicycles so they can squeeze twice the number onto the roads and erecting continuous billboards along the routes with pictures of the Cotswolds to appease the riders - *sign* :-)

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Phill, for your amusing and kind response.

[Wild Rose]

This rings a bell
Ex cyclists we both are
Up hill and down dale
Through towns with "Farm yard" smells
and no ringing bells
No one tt hear
Cept the cows and they don't care

[Chris Shaw]

Much better to cycle in the wonderful countryside and fresh air Wild Rose. In China, the roads were choc a block, and the air was anything but fresh. Thank you for reading.