My RIP Icon series continues...
Evel Knievel died on Friday. He wasn't jumping over a row of motorcycles. He wasn't jumping over a fountain or a bunch of cars or rattlesnakes or mountain lions. After years of making America's heart skip an extra beat, his own heart stopped. He was part Starsky and part Hutch. Part Bo and part Luke. Perhaps most importantly, if not for him, there never would have been a Fonz.
When I was little, I heard Evel Knievel had broken every bone in his body except for his pinky. Even today, I didn't look it up on Wikipedia because I wanted it to be true. The really weird thing about thinking back on Evel Knievel and all of his stunts is how innocent they seem, by today's over-the-top standards.
And so, on poetry Friday:
Snake River Canyon
A necessary Evel
Ma! I want a bike!
Okay, not my best tribute, perhaps. But heart felt.
Here's a link to Evel Knievel jumping over 11 Mack Trucks. Man, I love youtube.
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