Overview

In this moving collection, Michael Obel-Omia chronicles his extraordinary ride from Missoula, Montana, to Revere Beach, Massachusetts, an adventure born from resilience and hope. Each of the 101 poems captures a day on the road: the sweeping beauty of America's landscapes, the unpredictable weather, and the grueling yet exhilarating rhythm of the ride. This book is a testament to recovery and perseverance. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt reflection, Obel-Omia reveals how every mile pedaled mirrors his ongoing journey of healing after a stroke. Guided by the mission of Stroke Onward, he transforms challenge into triumph, crafting poetry that celebrates strength, friendship, and the resilience of the human spirit. ""In Cycling Across America in 101 Poems, Michael Obel-Omia takes us along on a remarkable ride of strength, humor, and faith. Through each poem, he shows what it means to live with aphasia and to keep moving-physically, emotionally, and spiritually-toward connection and purpose. In this second collection, Michael takes the language of survival and turns it into a celebration of motion and meaning. With lines like, 'Sometimes only four cycling, now, hundreds... Oh, yes, we are soaring on eagle's wings, ' he invites us to ride beside him through the mud-caked roads of recovery and back into the open air of purpose. As someone guiding the journey of thousands through the National Aphasia Association, I see this book as more than poetry-it is a bridge between loss and possibility, between word-finding and world-building."" Maura English Silverman, MS, CCC-SLP, Executive Director of the National Aphasia Association ""Michael's poetry is visceral, and his words draw you into his experiences. He typically writes in a rhythmic, melodic iambic pentameter, holding himself to ten syllables per line. In reading the entire collection, it was like being on the road with him, perhaps in a side-carrier or a tandem bike where he does all of the peddling, and you just get to be a part of the journey. Join him on the hills, valleys, mountain tops, and careening coasts back downward as you travel across the country on a cycle with friends. Stand alongside him through the challenges, self-doubts, physical and mental exhaustion, internal dialogues, and be at his side to witness the beauty of America, and his greatest triumphs and heart felt friendships. Be a part of the mundane, moments of boredom, and unparalleled wonder and joy."" Jerry K. Hoepner, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Professor and Speech-Language Pathologist at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Speech-Language & Hearing Sciences department, Founder of Thursday Night Poets-a weekly group for poets with brain injuries and aphasia

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9781968548322

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