Learning to ride a bike by Eli Oko

Don’t let go of me 

I kept repeating the words in my mind 

Because all I could imagine was being left alone 

To experience without training 

To have support and then none at all 

I didn’t want to imagine noone beside me 

I kept my eyes focused on my destination just like you suggested 

But as we began drifting you didn’t correct me 

Is this to teach me?

Is it because the lesson of falling is better taught before the lesson of getting up 

You said you would never let go 

You said that I’d never get hurt 

You promised that the art of it all is worth so much more than I could ever imagine

But are these just endearing lies 

To encourage me to trust in an ability I never knew if I was truly designed to have 

Who decides for us that we should be able to do this 

Who claimed to know my fears and how to overcome them

Why did you let go? 

So I fell and got up 

So I was hurt and healed 

So I experienced the one thing I’d cherish for eternity 

So what if you were right about it all? 

You taught me to love and then left me to direct it’s steps 

It’s not the same as teaching me to ride a bike

Love does not balance on training wheels, only my heart 

And it doesn’t have grip like handle bars 

It slips away with everything we built, the foundation that we lay on

Love doesnt have brakes for when it’s time to stop 

Love… goes on

Even when I got back up

Even during my fall 

But especially when you let go

Love… goes on. 

I hate it when you try to find ways to illustrate what we had

It was nothing like learning to ride a bike.