We tried to sell it
Before lockdown really bit
And we found out
Why you’d kept it
All these years
Luckily the bloke
Who said he’d buy it
Never showed up
So when you
Suddenly needed
A way to get
From A to Z
Free of risking
Public transport
There it stood
That rusty heap
Of ancient, recycled
Bits and pieces
Trusty to the end
It only needed
New wheels
Brakes, pedals
A comfier seat
New chain
Central bolt
And eventually
The crossbar snapped
When you met that
Final pothole
Now it sits glumly
In the hallway
Leaning on the
Cranky radiator
Muddying the carpet
While we try to negotiate
The grey market
Of spare parts
Traded online
Fished out of canals
Pinched from passageways
And porches
Hoping for inspiration
To strike twice
And for your Phoenix
To ride once more
Katherine Shirley 