Aaron Sandberg

Bike Locks

What they don’t expect adults to do
is steal the whole bike rack,

to worry about the locks later
at another place

with curtains drawn
once unloading the rental truck

they used to carry their haul
miles and miles

from the crime scene sight
after crashing into bolted polls

like a charm bracelet dangling spokes,
ripping it out of its concrete that night

the way your folks once tore
your young boy’s heart from its chest

when they told you back then
they couldn’t afford any of them

on display at the store—
their chrome flashing bright,

reflecting blue and red light
looking like police now on your lawn.

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Aaron Sandberg is fording the river with low rations at a grueling pace. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in No Contact, I-70 Review, Space and Time, West Trade Review, Asimov’s, The Offing, Sporklet, Right Hand Pointing, Monday Night, Unstamatic and elsewhere. A Pushcart-nominated teacher, you can see him—if he doesn’t see you first—on Instagram @aarondsandberg.