It werent the wheels fell off (the not)

it were the brakes, and

i’ve been

                                                 (one wants to want to think, so
on the 3-speed past the fountain
                                                 (whizzz whizzz whirrr whirrr
                                                 (hup-two-three-four
i’ve seen (beware) the laughing
                                                 (kookaburra kookaburra
the red bicycles have brakes
                                                 (mine into the fountain like so many coins
or

off fell the blue brakes
                                                 (i shall open an empty wallet
yours are wheels sound and round and true
                                                 (you have children to bear
i, the other side, too harried to pedal

                                                 (i have a body to bury

roll endover … endover … end
                                                 (hurry, child, you must’n’t tarry
end end end
                                                 (not simply “a,” but yours
hence,

commence,
                                                 (on your marks, get set

this the decade of desire

this frontier of when

and before the byre, one shakes

a rattle  for one’s infant

and steal one’s mettle like bars

from a bicycle built for two

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