bellows and pistons

as the moon fades and another pale day arrives

i feel the song of the steel, that sweet swift hum

and on i fly, swift as the eagles that soar and

the bellows and pistons beat a steady rhythm

the wind blows through my clothes

and my legs feel like they’re on fire

my body and the frame rattle together

merged into one, right from the tyre

where it touches the ground to the tips

of my hair blowing in the cold breeze

my t-shirt flaps like a flag in my shadow

that speeds ahead with ease

the freezing wind that had made

my eyes water and my nose run

is warmer now and there’s no sign of  

the mist with the coming of the sun

now the sweat trickles down the sides of my face

and into my eyes from the sides, dodging the brows

but on i fly, swift as the wind in my hair and

squinting my eyes i feel one with the crows

that fly with me all day and are replaced by

dark silhouettes with a flapping velvety flight

and my shadow that was one with the road and the sky

now does cartwheels as i speed beneath the streetlights

my legs hammer away like pistons tireless

of the machine that i ride an integral part

and my lungs are the strongest bellows ever made

that fan the fire that’s burning in my heart