Today I happened to be on a long bike ride outside. I decided to bike from my sister's place in the 
Gaithersburg area to DC via the Rock Creek bike trail. It was such an uplifting experience to be in the 
woods for those 17 miles and 2 hours.  
 
Golden Reflections   
11-5-2009 
 
Biking by abandoned farmland 
On Fields Road  
Cool air only feels pleasant  
in wide open sunshine. 
 
From Gude drive 
The horizon at the end of Southlawn Lane 
Beckons to me with reddish brown woods. 
 
I pass through industrial lots 
Dust in the air and trucks on the road. 
Should they be so close to the forest? 
Or perhaps they should be. 
The forest will clean them out. 
 
Entering the woods 
enveloped by leaves and shade. 
Mind still churning out dust -- 
thoughts of family, 
recalcitrant students... 
 
Forest air filled with leaves 
Shower of autumn colors. 
Asphalt on the Bike path  
barely visible. 
The remains 
of summer's life 
leaving an imprint of glory  
all over the browning earth. 
 
I enjoy the whoosh of the wheels 
The whisper of the leaves as they are passed over. 
Sometimes getting caught and 
Buzzing against the spokes. 
The birds flying around the bushes, 
Whitetailled deer drinking from the creek. 
The softness of the leafy slush 
where the ground is wet from rains. 
 
The path dives in and out of the canopy. 
The sunshine  
brings thoughts of my sweet beloved 
and a smile emerges. 
 
Soon my legs spin on their own. 
The bike seems to float on the ground, 
Carried by the breeze. 
 
The mind feels lighter, 
thoughts subside. 
The trail, the birds, the people out for a walk 
mingle and merge with the woods. 
 
As I approach Park Road 
on lonely Beach Drive 
Rays of God's love 
come flooding through the golden trees. 
I, having been wiped clean, 
by the wind and my sweat, 
could reflect them back.