Shifting Gears Remembering Miles by K. Peddlar Bridges aka…The Roadpoet

Shifting Gears

Remembering Miles

by K. Peddlar Bridges aka…The Roadpoet

Column Shifts Press

Softbound, 165 pages, $16.95

Review by Zvi A. Sesling

Can a biker write?  K. Peddlar Bridges, aka The Roadpoet, sure can. He pours memories and dreams into a cauldron, stirs with a big wooden spoon  (or is it an old floor shift) and serves up some wonderful writing, an eclectic mix of poetry, reminisces, stories and photographs, mostly of old (antique?) cars. And I’m into the car thing because I too have always loved the cars of the 1950s and ‘60s. Even a few in the following decades. I’ve owned a 1955 Mercury, 1962 Impala, 1965 Comet, 1968 Mustang, 1971 Monte Carlo and a super hot 1988 Olds Cutlass Calais Quad 4, FE3. Even the Caddy CTS was quick car.  Anyway, this is about Bikerpoet and his book, so let’s get to it. One of my favorite pieces in this volume is Old White Station Wagon:

OLD WHITE STATION WAGON

OLD WHITE STATION WAGON –

with tired by faithful engine

resting beneath

a rusted pitted hood.

OLD WHITE STATION WAGON –

with an odometer that lies

and with foot worn pedals

that betray your age.

OLD WHITE STATION WAGON –

with ripped and torn seat covers

that tell the tales of the burdens

of your years.

OLD WHITE STATION WAGON –

like an old dog lost control of itself,

hissing radiator, dripping old pan,

seeping transmission case,

always an aggravating trail left

behind

The stories are a bit long to reprint in this review, but suffice it to say that they are well worth the read. I especially like the commentary on the ‘50s cars. When reading Shifting Gears I will make three promises: 1. you will enjoy the poetry and stories, 2. you will be transported back to yesteryear and the cars that legends are made of and 3. you will want to reread the book.  I can also promise you will learn some automotive history in the process.

And finally, some words about K. Peddlar Bridges. The book says he is a Bikerpoet, writer and former Connecticut Bike Week and Super Sunday Expo (R) Poet Laureate.

He has also been a columnist and senior columnist for the Connecticut Cruise News, Motorcyclegoodies.com, The Motorcyclists’Post and The Chop-Shop Custom News Letter. In addition he has been published in numerous publication.  Although the book I received to review is an Editor’s manuscript copy, I would venture that there will be very few changes and for anyone who even remotely likes autos, Shifting Gears, Remembering Miles is a book well worth a read. It does what pop car magazine cannot do, it brings nostalgia and first person love of autos to its pages.

_____________________________________

Zvi A. Sesling is author of King of the Jungle (Ibbetson Street, 2010), Across Stones of Bad Dreams (Cervena Barva, 2011) and the soon to be published Fire Tongue (Cervena Barva). He is Editor of Muddy River Poetry Review and Bagel Bards Anthology #7.