a trio of motor

a trio of motor

trikes parked under the flag and

peeling paint shadows

On my way to Revelations, I pass my favorite peeling paint shadows under the American flag hanging in a bay window. What to my wondering eyes should appear but a trio of trike motorcycles, like giant red, green and gold toys left by Santa Claus, though nothing like my first little red Christmas trike. I walk over to admire the beautiful machines, each one a customized work of art. The cherry red trike has a black leather seat for one, a steering wheel and an enclosed front wheel. It looks more like a sports car than a motorcycle. The side windshield is plastered with stickers: a traditional American flag, a wavy American flag, an American flag peace symbol, an American flag caduceus, and a red Allstate Insurance symbol. The other two have handlebars like a regular motorcycle. The sparkly gold trike has a low seat for the driver and a back seat for two, both in argyle-patterned black and tan leather, and an eight-ball gear shift knob. The shamrock green trike has a low black leather driver's seat and a single higher seat with a headrest. This one is called "Lucky Trike" and features leprechauns with gold coins painted on each side, plus a four leaf clover design on the roll bar. All three are delta trikes, with a single wheel in front, rather than tadpole trikes with two wheels in front. They've all got Jefferson County license plates, so I figure they're local folks. My Irish luck sends me out of Revelations just in time to catch the owners getting ready to mount their mounts. They're wearing black leather jackets, of course, and look like old hippies. I blurt out, "I love your trikes! We have an electric three-wheel car. It's classified as a motorcycle. We had to take the Zap over to Mt. Pleasant to get a motorcycle license. The guy who gave us the test had a Harley jacket and a POW headscarf. He said, 'What's the world coming to when motorcycles don't make any noise? How are you going to be heard in traffic?' I said, 'Cowbells?' And he rolled his eyes." The three men and one woman listen with straight faces. One of the men says, "We're doing a gig at Jefferson County Park tomorrow night. Come on out and bring your electric car." Then they pull on their black leather gloves and roar off into the night.