IN OUR 5TH YEAR AND STILL REVING ...

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BIKER POETRY MONTH 2009!
THE OPEN ROAD ... THE OPEN MIC!

( A THEME ... A WAY OF LIFE )

By, K Peddlar Bridges, Bikerpoet Laureate, and Senior Columnist for, The Connecticut Cruse News and motorcyclegoodies.com.

WELCOME, Brother and Sister Bikerpoets, Friends and Artists to Roadpoet eMagazine's 5th annual National Bikerpoetry Month Celebration. As Editor and Publisher of Roadpoet eMagazine and Founder of National Bikerpoetry Month, I would like to invite all Bikerpoets, Writers, Artists and Friends to join in with us on our 5th celebration of Bikerpoetry Month. Over the past years, Roadpoet eMagazine Staff and Friends have (collectively) covered thousands of miles heading to and from Bikerpoetry Month Events. There has most likely been miles of copy line used in writing Bikerpoetry Month Stories, Articles, Poems and Press Releases. If this last statement seems like an exaggeration, think about laying all the copy line out in a straight line and then pushing your Harley that far, (don't got a Harley? Use mine.) And if that don't set you to panting, I'll eat my tires, but you cook them on your stove, while bouncing up and down on a pogo stick in the dark, so you can't see the smoke.

Past Bikerpoetry Month Events and Readings have featured, The Roadpoets, The Bikerpoets, The Highway Poets and Poets we didn't even know that just happened to show up. These Events have covered a number of States and the Poets and Writers who have covered and celebrated Roadpoet eMagazine's National Bikerpoetry Month dot the map across the Nation. And I know this is all really great fun, but I would like to pause here and thank some of the many fine Editors and Publishers who have helped make all this happen, Don Clady, Connecticut Cruise News ... Jodi Lipson, mototorcyclehoodies.com ... Q-Ball, VTwinbiker.com ... Leo Castel, Motorcyclists' Post ... Dana and Lenny Schaeffer's, Chop-Shop Custom News Letter ... Gypsypashn, Biker Bits ... Mary Susan Williams Migneault, Road House Press / roadhousepress.com and I would also like to mention myself, yours truly, K. Peddlar Bridges, Roadpoet eMagazine / roadpoet.com. This year's Roadpoet eMagazine's National Bikerpoetry Month theme will be (The Open Road.) And with this Open Road theme at heart, Roadpoet eMagazine would like to invite all Bikerpoets, Writers, Bikers, Brothers, Sisters and friends to join in and be listed as a Roadpoet eMagazine Open-Roadpoet or Open-Roadpoet friends. To be listed on the Open Road list, just head for three Open Mic readings, or head for an open-page, open-stage, open computer screen on any web site. Publish yourself, publish someone else, have a Bikerpoetry cookout or a Bikerpoetry party, but do any three of these during Roadpoet eMagazine's National Bikerpoetry Month and tell folks and list somewhere you are holding or attending these events or readings as part of Roadpoet eMagazine's National Bikerpoetry Month Celebrations and you will be listed on Roadpoet eMagazine's list of Open Roadpoets and Friends.

Here I would like to thank Roadpoet eMagazine's two out going Bikerpoet Laureates for their service and dedication to the Bikerpoetry Community, One: Chopper Kate, Roadpoet eMagazine's, Mid-West Bikerpoet Laureate ... Thank you Chopper Kate, Well done. And two: J. Barrett Wolf aka Bear, Roadpoet eMagazine's, Bikerpoet Laureate of the Mid-Coast, Thank you Bear. I would also like to mention and thank Roadpoet eMagazine's two former Bikerpoet Laureates, Gypsypashn, past Roadpoet's New Hampshire and Massachusettes Poet Laureate and Wild Bill Rogers aka The Alaskan Poet, Roadpoet eMagazine's former Bikerpoet Laureate of the Nothern Frontier. Here I would like to switch gears from Roadpoet eMagazine's Editor and Publisher to The Biker Poets and Writer's Association's Co-founder and Chair and mention and thank the Biker Poets and Writers Association's past National Biker Poet Laureate, Colorado T. Sky for all his years of service and dedication to the Bikerpoetry Community ... Thank you Brother Sky. And I would also like to mention and thank another long time member of the Bikerpoetry Community, another founding force, The Biker Poets and Writer's Association's Present National Bikerpoet Laureate, Martin Jack Rosenblum aka The Holy Ranger ... Thanks Brother ... Twenty years of our lives goes by fast ... but hopefully, the pages of our stories will endure. I would also like to mention and thank Don Clady's Connecticut Cruise News' Bikerpoet Laureate Larry Scerri aka The Ironhorse Writer for his years of service and dedication to the Biker and The Bikerpoetry Community ... Thanks and Bravo!

You maybe wondering if there will be any new Bikerpoet Laureates set this year and yes, there will be one. But, he will not be a Bikerpoet Laureate in our classic sense. He will be what I will call, (a Roadpoet, Bikerpoet Laureate of the Wind,) I am puting together a list of loved ones who have travelled their share of ths life's paved roads and now hopefully travel the roads beyond those paved. I am calling and forming this list of past Brothers and Sisters who loved the road, the machine, and one form of art or another ... The Roadpoet Chapter of the Wind. The Roadpoet Chapter of the Wind will have its own Bikerpoet Laureate, the late Bernhard Pock, the son of famous movie actress Nancy Kwan. Bernhard Pock's life came and passed, too quickly, and with too little notice, for Bernhard Pock made his own contribution to the Bikerpoetry Community, and for that I am setting him as Roadpoet eMagazine's, Roadpoet Bikerpoet Laureate of the Wind. So, please watch for our up coming ( Roadpoets in The Wind, ) and (The Bikerpoet Movie 101, ) stories to be published in the near future. In closing, I am hoping you will join in this year's Roadpoet eMagazine's National Bikerpoetry Month fun and celebrations, and we are also hoping you will send in your list of the three events that are part of your Bikerpoetry Month Celebrations, so, that we may list you and them on our Bikerpoetry Month Open Road Poets and Friends list for all to read and know that you are helping us celebrate this important event. And now as part of our Bikerpoetry Month Celebration let us turn to our speacial Bikerpoetry Month Spotlight feature section. ....................................................

BIKER POETS OF THE OPEN ROAD ... I really feel this month's Spotlight Section has some extra pazazz! I hope this Month's feature section will lend credence to the fact that Bikerpoetry and Bikerpoetry Month are all about the Brotherhood and the Sisterhood of the Road, The Ride and the Word. It's not about talking about it or grabbing all the gusto you can ... it's about taking it to the Road and and sharing the ride and the spotlight with your Brother and Sisters! And as always the first thing I will do here is point left and head right, because our first Spotlight Poet this monthis not a Biker nor a Bikerpoet, But he is, I believe a good friend to all Bikers, Bikerpoets and Poets of all measure. Here I would like to introduce Ed Patch. Ed sent a fine short Bio so I'll that do most of that, But, I would like to mention Ed name was on the list for posible Roachester Nh Poet Laureate, I feel he should have recieved the said Poet Laureateship ... because he has the heart of a true Poet Laureate ... Half poet and half Newspaper man ... The poem below is writen about a reading I did one marm May evening a couple of years ago. It was one of those places where the whole front of the bar opens to the street, so that you end up feeling like your sitting on the sidewalk. It was another night in Bikerpoetry History and asalways it proved when Bikerpoets go out to read it's an event. I feel Ed caught it all very well ... like a verble snap shot ... Thanks Ed! (1.) ( BIKER at the MIKE ) Biker at the miker on the street, and there's no wall, and the words flow, and the images run, and the bikes roll, and the road roars, and the room fills with sound, and somehow ...it works ---------------------------------2007 ed pacht. "Ed Pacht, is retired preacher and factory worker, lives alone in elderly housing in Rochester, NH. He has issued 41 self-published chapbooks of his poetry and is never happier than when he is performing it." Our Second Spotlght feature this month is Lisa Hourigan aka Spike; she is from Connecticut, rides a Harley and many of our readers may already know her and her work. (2.) (WORDS by SPIKE) Words I read the words The words are the road The road takes me So many places Some far away and new Some as close as my own heart and familiar The words are not mine But they are of my kin The ones who ride The ones who write So I may read And travel with them Copyright 4/28/09 Lisa Hourigan

................................................................ Every so offten I recieve emails and letters from Bikerpoets or folks who would like to find out about publishing their work or the work of a friend or loved one. I recieved an email in March From Jan Woodland of New Hampshire inquiring about publshing the poetry of her late husband Jack Woodland. She said, she believed Jack had mentioned knowng me and we may have met at Bike Week in Laconia. I'm pretty sure I remember meeting Jack a couple of times at the Poets in the Attic, poetry readings in Wolfboro NH. Below is short note Jan sent me telling me about Jack and his poetry. "Jack and I lived in Alton, NH. He had lived here forever, we had gotten married in 2006. I don't know why, but I remember him talking about you. ack was very involved with Christian Motorcyclists Assoc. and was at their coffee house in the Weirs during bike week. He didn't start writing poetry until after his 1st wife passed away in 1999. I will e-mail you a few of his poems. Jan ..." And here is a poem by Jack Woodland ... (3.) (Asphalt Dancing) Motorcycles line upt Like greyhouds at the gate. Engines rev, throttle feathered, toe tapping the ground. Blood pounding in my veins like the driver of a locomotive. Honda pants to go. Snap of the clutch, The challenge begins. 20 laps of adrenaline rush. Banshee screaming motorcycles. Good Start. Turn one. Shifting down, light front brake. 80 to 40. Out of turn one, hard on throttle, Back straight away push 100 mph, Oh yeah, feels good. Chicane comping up, Down shifting, hold the line. Take a deep breath into chicane. Like a darting bird, body moves right ... then left. Knee dragging as bike leans, 45 degrees. Out of turn four, longest straight away. Sprinting 130 mph, plus! Dunlap's feel good, engine smooth, look'in good lap after lap Lap ten Unwanted noise. Chicane again raises its ugly head. Pit stop eminent. Damn, lost it! Like clothes in a dryer, tumbling at 70 mph. Hay bales flying. Ah, better luck next time. ....................................... Jack's poem above here and Rusty Sproket's poem below here, to me seen very close together in tone and nature. For one thing we should never forget that most of the big motorcycle events ... Daytonia, Laconia and Sturgis are realy centered around motorcycle events, Hill Climbs, Flat track and the Big Track. I've writen a poem ( Bikers are a Strange Breed.) But, I also believe Bikers / Motorcyclists are a creed with many believes, values, Symbols and (for no better word,) ritchuwills common to one another. One of my Harvard Photogtrphy Instuctors, John Ludders-Booth told he wanted to do a photography book on the common icons and images inside Bikers homes. In one of the first slide shows John Ludders-Booth showed us in class I recognized a could of the motorcycists in the slides. As I have said before as a creed there always seems to be a common connections. Between the late Jack Woodland and Rusty Sproket there are many of these common bonds ... They both have / had sidecar rigs, they both are / were members of the CMA, I find their poetry very simalar most likely due to these commom bonds and nature. And though Jack's ( Asphalt Dancing ) poem is mostly writen about a race track in NH. and Rusty's Hill Climb poem is about a Hill Climb in Pa., I can feel the kinship. (4.) (Freemansburg Hillclimb Freemansburg, PA ) by Rusty Sprocket, The big hill looms over the crowded meadow where the five thousand wait to be fed the risky thrills they hunger for- Watching the brave/foolish riders on their stretched machines with long swingarms and fuelly motors claw upward through the ancient dirt and lug-loosened rocks that make up their mountain track... just to get to the brink in one piece while racing the big digital clock ticking off hundredths of a second in a blink The crowd's eyes squint upward against the sun to see if momentum (the trick of the trade) is lost or if a rut catches a wheel and pulls the rider off the track he wants to run The crowd's ears attune to the steady uphill growl to hear if the motor's throb skips and traction (a rider's salvation) is lost The crowd's heart lifting with the rider's climb yet fearing an up-hill silence which means a stall and a rider's grim fall his bike on its side which cannot help but slike and both then tumble downward hurting things until snagged on a jutting rock or grabbed by rope-holding hill workers... or worse... a rider flipped with his bike coming over him and gravity making a bad thing drastic... the drama they all came to see but hope they don't

Below here are two more poems that celebrate Bikerpoetry and the Ride. One is by James Sharpinsteen aka Sharpie the Bikerpoet, Sharpie is from Arkansas and rides a big metric. I did a story on Sharpie last year i/e The Bikerpoet Photo 101. You can tell by his poem, (The Ride) That he loves riding and being a Bikerpoet. Our second poem below here is by our associate columnist Sorez the Scribe, Soreze's poem clearly shows what it's all about is the ride and the Sister and Brotherhood. (5.) RIDE Flag unfurled, one great country Where I can ride and write my poetry I don't need a map to steer my course When I ride on my chrome horse So give me 2 wheels, handlebars to grab, And set me out on the super slab Heaven on earth will be found When me and my bike are Sturgis bound So to all you bikers nation wide Hold on to your dreams and have one hell-of-a RIDE! By James Sharpensteen (6.) THIS IS NOW -by Sorez The Scribe There's nothing like a long haul ride To shake the cobwebs from my mind Karma finally swayed my way As I throttle on today I stayed the course strong and true Never gave up on being who I am the Brother I've always been But doubted myself when downtime hit Suffered through the loss and pain Nothing more to lose yet all to gain I wear my heart upon my sleeve My Colors proud for all to see Yeah there's nothing like a long haul ride To shake the cobwebs from my mind ................................................................. In closing, I hope you found this speacial Bikerpoetry Month Spotlight Section, as exciting to read. as I found it to be, in writing it. So till then, Best Miles and Verses ... Peddlar.

Please read and enjoy Roadpoet eMagazine / roadpoet.com . for more info please email roadpoetmagazine@webtv.net or mail for info to Roadpoet Editor, Po Box 797, Kennebunk Me. 04043.