Every driver eyes
The Vietnam vet
Riding
his scooter
Bouncing
along the sidewalk
Top heavy
Taking curb cuts without
Slowing
Tilting
Into traffic and
Teetering
On the brink of ruin
But just as quickly
Righted
Even though every pebble makes it
Shimmy
And
Shudder
He rolls onward
The tiny American flag fully erect
From the Rascal’s speed as he
Approaches a crosswalk
Barely slowing as he rolls down the giant yellow Lego
Each bump
Potential ruin
He’s stuck
On the rim where concrete meets asphalt
He backs up and
Rams the bump
Again
And again
And again
As drivers hold their breath until
At last he
Jimmies
Over
The bump and
Onto
The painted macadam
Unfazed
The fragile plastic shell of his scooter
Shaking
Like a beetle’s carapace
After a heavy rain
As he motors onward.