And Gleaming Everything
Lance Larsen a pink bike with white basket and gleaming everything that’s the one I stole out of revenge for being kneed in gym by an eighth grader not his bike his sister’s bike that’s seventh grade logic for you this was 1973 the same month my brother’s draft number came up I was riding fear not a bike moon covered in blood not a bike all dogs barking like Dobermans all parked cars manned by undercover cops at the top of Sled Killer Hill I aimed that bike like a missile and let her go what bouncy balance what air a charging warhorse charging downhill tassels streaming I chased after it until it hit a tree North Vietnam South Vietnam one of those was my enemy how did I not see the tree the bike banged up like someone tossed off a cliff do they have cliffs in Vietnam or only jungle I straightened the handlebars bent the seat back into place tried to salvage the basket ah the basket a white wicker