by Jennifer Elise Wang
in Memory of Ken Block
I could smell the burning rubber
When I watched videos of you
Racing through the streets of San Fran
As if it’s the Daytona International Speedway
(Except you turn in all sorts of ways, not just left).
You could hit the dirt too,
And I think I still have sand in my hair
From when I watched you in Austin
Racing guys like yourself,
Former boarders and bikers
Who found a new thrill behind the wheel.
We joked, “With age, comes the cage,”
But you never restricted yourself.
Like the engines of your Fords, Subarus, and Audis,
You pushed your own body to the limits
On concrete, dirt, water, and snow.
Now, I think if there is a Heaven,
The angels would have a hard time
Keeping you in one spot.
Jennifer Elise Wang (she/they) is a non-binary femme in STEM from Dallas, Texas. When she's not doing neuroscience research, she enjoys writing, dancing, and learning how to skateboard and snowboard. She has been published in The New Verse News, FERAL, Exist Otherwise, and ev0ke.