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1.

I was riding a bike around town

though I haven't ridden a bike in years.

The dreambike had eyes on its spokes,

These spun as the wheels turned,

and were there to alert me

to approaching meteorites

and mad dogs.

Further proof of the reality of this dreambike

was that I hadn't been hit yet

by an angry rock from space

or bitten by

an overexcited dog from earth.




Duane Ackerson's poetry has appeared in Rolling Stone, Yankee, Prairie Schooner, The Magazine of Speculative Poetry, Cloudbank, alba, Starline, Dreams & Nightmares, and several hundred other places. He has won two Rhysling awards and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. He lives in Salem, Oregon. You can find more of his work in our archives.
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6 Apr 2026

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