Yesterday I took my longest bike ride of the summer (62 miles), and managed to stop occasionally to write some haiku poems:

Mile 11, Oceanview Highway

reeds standing straight up

as far off as I can see

through smudged sunglasses

Mile 22.5, River Road on the Pawcatuck River

small tree in sunshine -

one bird floats across the road –

noise of power saw

Mile 24, Greenhaven Road

music from a small house –

soft sound of plane over head –

Sunrise Avenue

Mile 27, Route 1, by Greenhaven Road

traffic rushing by me –

birds chirping in the bushes –

totally blue sky

Mile 28.4, corner of Route 1 and N. Main

trembling leaf shadows –

two leaves fall straight down like stones

as I breathe deeply

Mile 31, N. Main

young shadowy woods

with small patches of sunlight –

a smashed can of Coors

Mile 34, Wheeler Road

white butterflies float

over a dry brown cornfield –

highway hums far off

Mile 37, Al Harvey Road and 201

smell of fresh cut grass

and a small blue plane above –

my bike relaxes

Mile 40, Wolfneck Road at the Ledyard town line

bridge over small stream –

flies buzzing on the surface –

a girl rides past me

Mile 43, Old Mystic

leaves float on the pond

while leaves tremble around me –

my orange vest shines

Mile 45, River Road

kids learning to sail

in small boats with striped sails --

traffic far away

Mile 47.3, across from Sea Swirl

lunch by a small cove –

I stretch out in the cool shade –

tree limbs wave to me

Mile 53, Stonington Borough, Du Bois Beach

great rocks all around –

SUVs stand like monsters –

a small boy splashes

Mile 54.5, Route 1, near Cove Ledge Inn

big white house on hill

with bird songs all around it –

junk piled in shade

Mile 58.2, the bend of Greenhaven and River Road

old pickup for sale

and a sail boat with old sneakers –

voices far away

Mile 60.6, River Road

many big white boats

and birds singing from the trees –

red fire hydrant