Handicap - edit

[dukealien]

Handicap


Beneath a gusty tumbled sky
that seemed about to storm that day
I passed a black man biking.
Strong, tough and roughly shaved
he pedaled wearing shorts
a mini-microphone with earbuds
and a purple windbreaker
that spinnaker-ballooned out monstrously
deep around him.
Drag-chuted that way
struggle though he might
he never caught up–
great strength self-impeded
by a jacket he had donned
in fear of rain that wasn’t falling
and never did.

original version;

Beneath a gusty tumbled sky
that seemed about to fall that day
I passed a black man bicycling.
Strong, tough and roughly shaved
he pedaled wearing shorts
a mini-microphone with earbuds
and a purple windbreaker
that spinnaker-ballooned out monstrously
all around him.
Drag-chuted that way
struggle though he might
he never caught up–
great strength self-impeded
by a jacket he had donned
in fear of rain that wasn’t happening
and never did.

The gentleman's jacket was actually blue rather than purple, but I changed it to avoid having the colour interpreted politically.  I plead Poetic Licence. (Which, oddly enough, is not flagged for spelling as "colour" is.)