Singing Wheel

I hopped onto the flat rubber pedal of the bicycle leaning against the porch railing. My weight made the pedal tilt with a dull, rubbery creak, bringing me right alongside the front wheel's web of steel spokes. Reaching out with my claw, I plucked the taut wire. A sharp, singing ping vibrated through the metal frame, humming right through my toes like a miniature farm bell ringing in the morning. I hopped down to the hub and nudged a dry oak leaf between two spokes, watching it tremble each time I tapped the wires to test their song.