The Flying Scotsman

THE FLYING SCOTSMAN In the suburbs of Scotland, a star was shone, The humblest being the nature’s child, Dared to dream the strangest dreams, Sailing the ship through the wildest storms! The determined will, the hurdles though aplenty, The childhood seemed as an ordeal, an everyday battle that he fought, The little child courageously suffered the harshest blows, Emotions accompanied the tears that flow! Hid himself in the closets, or the corners of his room, Away from the torments, the piercing arrows, Couldn’t escape the fear instilled in the deepest core of his heart, By those who incessantly tortured the little mind! The fear that led him to delve deep within, As a tortoise in a shell, he learnt to live with his loneliness, Aloof, alone, the silent quarters of his mind, Wherein dwelled the shy introvert yet iron-willed Obree! A man of few words, keeping mostly to himself, The churning thoughts raising a storm inside, Long trips to the mountains, pedaling all the way, The only solace, his escape from the cruel real world! The fantasy that he lived to fulfill at last, Became his dream, with every breath that he took, Each moment that he lived, dedicated to the goal, The enthusiasm, the zeal, the fervor to break the World Record! The records that he wished to break some day, And make some new ones to be cherished forever, Nothing less than a World Record was always on his mind, But, how on Earth would he achieve it, pondered his friends! And look, what he built from the washing machine parts, A cycling bike with an extra mileage, swift and strong, What a beauty his beloved bike certainly was! The charming, lovely, awesome, his ‘Old Faithful’ bike! And as a faithful friend, he entrusted his victory, his name, As he rode broke the World Records, not once but twice, Not a bed of roses, nor a piece of cake, His path was laid with the thorns that pricked! Numerous attempts to demoralize, dishearten him, At times the rules changed in the nick of time, To disqualify his ‘Old Faithful’, debarring him from the events, But the modest, humble Obree stood strong! The heartless world finally lost, all efforts exhausted, To downheart, to dispirit him, to shatter his confidence, Overcoming depression, he talked out Mental Health issues aloud, A selfless being, surpassing impediments, reached the summits high! Hail the Great Graeme Obree- THE FLYING SCOTSMAN!!!