I bought my bike in 1985,
and soon I took to riding every dawn
(I’d left the hospital. I aimed to thrive).
It had a reading rack. I fed each yawn
with coffee from a shelf beside my arm.
The exercise was nothing hard to do,
and soon I felt my sweat was like a charm,
and added calisthenic workouts too.

But over time my aptitude has changed
along with appetite and tendencies –
the order of routine I’ve rearranged.
No longer drinking while I push my knees,
I’ve started doing squats and crunches first,
before I pedal or address my thirst.