Harley

HARLEY

Stronger than a hundred horses
swifter than the hunting cheetah
with the sinuous beauty of the black panther
and a voice that mutes the storm,
I challenge the shearing wind
and revel in the wild ride:
I am the epitome of masculinity.

My hog companions
these gentlemen of the roads,
are self-reliant individuals
who, although beset by stereotypes,
could be doctors, bankers, philosophers,
bandits, rogues or ruffians.
They provoke resentment and scorn
from the conformist,
the sedentary and the risk averse,
but they are esteemed and envied
by those who appreciate
the joys of perfect freedom.