Frank E Gibbard Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Ricky my son his father said be careful as you blaze on down the road in a bright new car; don't let your zest for speed implode. To me you are so dear that you may stray is my constant fear. But did he listen? Not this son, went far too near a deadly ton rashness filled a bold young head too soon a sacred scion was dead and when the jag was sadly found severed wings lay on the ground. A family tragedy as he weaved at too great speed, fatherly good advice boy racer did not heed. Ricky thus is needlessly killed, a weak pilot just too strong-willed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmarti1 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 My middle name came from a family friend (my uncle's friend) who was killed in a motorcycle accident. The quick, short lines add to the effect of speed; the interspersed rhymes do, too. Sad story, and my sympathies go out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_con Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Palatable dromology. A cautionary tale well done. Juris Quote thegateless.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatekeeper Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Read this a few times. Familiar tale. Pondering the form - not sure if it helps or hinders. Quote from the black desert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Hi Frank, The first part of this poem reminded me of my son, born with a lead foot, growing up with his Dad first a cop then head of security at Sears Point Raceway, now Sonoma Raceway. He road motorcyles on the track and went through the race school before he was old enough to get his driver's lisence. He also totalled 3 vehicles plus ended up in the ER with injuries after putting down his bike to avoid being hit, all before he was 19 years old. (2 of the accidents were single car collisions in which he took a curve too fast and flipped, "if the road was just 2"s wider Mom, I wouldn't have flipped, don't tell Dad". You'd think he would have learned after the first time.) (Once he was rearended, not his fault and the motorcycle accident he put the bike down to avoid being hit by a guy who ran a stop sign.) Gratefully he escaped Ricky's fate. I used to think my number one job was get him to survive his teens. But I guess it was all good training for his future. He is now a cop. He was a motor cop for 7 years and while on the motor he was in pursuit of a speeder at 70 miles an hour with lights and sirens and a lady changed lanes right into his side (she didn't see him?) sending him sailing through the air 100 feet and the bill of his helmet had to be pried out of the asphalt. He was lucky he suffered only a concussion and broke his wrist. He is fine. Now he is on a special team in street clothes and unmarked vehicle (with all of the bells and whistles when he needs them) investigating, surveilance and busting car thefts and chop shops. We kid him that he lives a TV show. I have to trust that he has matured, is well trained and is doing what he loves. But that "zest" is really hard to tame. ~~Tink Quote ~~ © ~~ Poems by Judi Van Gorder ~~ For permission to use this work you can write to Tinker1111@icloud.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonqueen Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Hi, Frank. This dredges up many memories for me. A favorite uncle, finally got his Corvette, over 30 years ago, his mother said, "Bobby, that car will be the death of you." She was right. You handled this one quite well. t Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank E Gibbard Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Thanks all - I hope the memories were not stirred badly by this fiction but daily story - based on a reworking of an old Greek one- I should give credit to Ovid, "Rick" and "thus" rhymes with the mythical flier whose wings melted was the clue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonqueen Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Icarus! Of course. A lesson taught to all, learned better by some than by others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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