Robert D. Valerio
Death on a Pale Bicycle
Balancing the scythe
across the handlebars, he comes
trundling along one of two streets
towards alfalfa-grass fields.
My eyes are shut, but I can hear
the tutting chain, the curt creak
of unoiled ball-bearings as he swerves to avoid
fresh dung or broken glass.
I visualise the crowds of purple heads,
knowing there’s usually some wind in the fields
at six o’clock, but still imagining
it is sadness that makes them nod.
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