Thursday, April 9, 2015

Poetry Challenge, V.6.0, Day 9

It's been a long week.  No, really - longer days mean a little more activity.  Warmer days make me move faster, like a lizard in the sunshine.  I must be cold-blooded.  Consequently, a couple days of hitting the gym has me feeling like taking a three-day nap - after eating everything I can find.  But, I'm looking forward to a weekend full of workshop time, and getting a couple of projects moved along...perhaps even finished!!  And if I can get more gym time in, all the better!

Pain Management

The lungs burn first,
every breath a fiery blast that lasts
only a moment before you find the rhythm
of feet pounding the roadway,
arms swishing back and forth
in extra movement.

Slowly, the deadfalls of feet begin to take their toll,
the fluids settling upon each impact,
as the legs fill with sediments,
a new burning replacing the old one
until the perception changes and you dig deeper,
point your feet, toe-heel becoming possible
as the stride increases.

The back begins,
a dull ache that won't be a problem until you stop,
and then will become excruciating.
Stiffen the shoulders, relax the arms,
stand up straighter, chest out,
shorten the gait only slightly - no - lengthen it,
and begin, at last, the mantra:
there is no pain, there is only me.

Let go.
Allow the energy to leave your body,
each footfall a charged bit of earth,
an ounce of pain,
a toxin to be eliminated with each step,
until at last,
there is nothing but the wind in your face,
and the miles of pain are behind you.


Thanks for reading,
The Fat Kid

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