A Chain and Two Wheels

I stepped down from the metal platform toward a bicycle locked to the low blue railing. The interlocking steel links of its chain caught my attention. Crouching beside the rear wheel, I reached out to touch the dark, greased teeth of the gear sprocket. Each tooth was shaped to catch the roller pins with exact precision. I carefully nudged the pedal arm with my palm, watching the chain glide smoothly across the cogs without a sound. It is a clean piece of mechanical rhythm.