Best Treadmill Poems
Slowing down the motor,
running low on gas
The lies, the HOV lane,
the truth off in the grass
The speed counterproductive,
it warps and then transforms
The magic in the stillness,
the beauty heaven born
The light becomes a blurring,
as darkness settles in
Till stepping off the madness,
and travelling within
That fatal rush to judgment,
a quiet now sustains
One choice to stop the treadmill
—all motion rearranged
(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)
Insatiable thirst and hunger
A bottomless materialistic pit
Always something for nothing
Prop your feet up; you’re the ****
Narcissist lazy behavior
Spoiled childish attitude
Snowflakes; everybody’s a winner
Except for people like me and you
They want it all
Dedicated to useless social tasks
Judgmental of others
Sluggish and fat
Passion for wealth
Absence of worth
Fickleness nature
Self-esteem at its worst
No goals intended
Overwhelmed and tired
False-self dominates
Tranquility expires
Choked by emotions
Drowning in desires
Wicked ambitions
Self-indulgence on fire
Lost in luxuries
Blinded by hope
Delusions of adequacy
Tempered by dope
Literary studies
Lost thing of the past
The perception of knowledge
Builds up real fast
Enthusiasm for fame
Appeal to pointless facts
We’re creating an illusionary world
We may never get back
Chasing a fictitious image
A nightmarish dream comes true
Delusions of adequacy
Creates a facade of virtue
The traditional view
The path to acquire
Loaded with debt
Bankrupt with desire
Our culture is afflicted
Materialism grabs hold
Misguided expectations
Hedonic treadmill creates a black hole
History has tried to teach us
The pains had no effect
No lessons learned in life
The cards dealt shows a slow death
The comfort of emotions
The greediness starts to blend
Before we become aware
Here we go again
Funny, how ironic
Human nature can be
Blind drives of biology
Now a destructive quality
New desires will take place
Old compulsions will disappear
Life will be driven
By the avoidance of new fears
A new set of beliefs
A new course in life
Is really what’s needed
For autonomy in our life
Acknowledge our predicament
Self-respect matters most
Virtue and honor
Is what I hope and propose
This generation
Can change what’s been done
We're in this together
We're in this as one
Selfless
Productive
Compassionate
Clarity of mind
Sin
Greed
And gluttony
Pass away all in due time
The past tells a story
Opportunity to understand; to know
Everything that has happened in life
Was necessary for our growth
How fragile is the thread
That bears the weight
Of
Who I am
Is it not true?
My greatest strength is my deepest fear
Will I ever be complete?
How far must I run?
On the treadmill of life
Before I realize
That I have lost the race
In reality
Losing the race
Has gained me the victory
For I now fully understand
It matters not
Who wins or loses
All that truly matters
Is who we help along the way
Light is fading
It’s cold, abrasive
Facing longer nights
Green leaves mellow
Brown and yellow
Autumn has arrived
Misty mornings
Clock alarming
Body sense awry
Feel so jaded
Last night’s raving
Flashing through your mind
Drink hot coffee
Rush to catch the
Seven thirty-five
On the treadmill
Routine, thankful
Work keeps hope alive
Simply crazy when, every now and then
You want to bash your head against the wall
No longer feeling worth it all
Like you always thought you would
You live the life you choose
Or are you being used?
Now faking it, doesn’t raise a hit
You forfeit all or run with it
Lucky to be paid
And maybe later, dream of getting laid
Light is fading
It’s cold, abrasive
Facing longer nights
Green leaves mellow
Brown and yellow
Autumn has arrived
Trudging exhausted, weary and spent
Revolving in an ennui which will not relent
Each step closer to nowhere, be it fast or slow
As days crawl by friends come and they go
Dawn ushers forth a grand gift of renewel
Moon offers solace, serene bright and cool
Inside this cage I sense the light
Lost is my soul, a Sisyphus plight
Let my spirit take flight in the grace of night
A distant rumble
Not thunder…a plane?
Remember when they broke
The sound barrier
Shook the house
Made the dog pee …right there
I think I hear the sun laugh
Y’know…that ha – ha
Its gonna rain for three days
You’re gonna miss me laugh
The moon just smiled
Its rocking chair smile
the baby ground hog
is fattening up nicely
the dandelions are away for the fourth
I think I’ll risk flying the flag
Y’know, that old tattered one
The Red, White, and Blue one
I got new windshield wipers
It probably won’t rain
Time’s up….
John G. Lawless
©6/23/2023
I’M ON A TREADMILL
HOLDING ON TIGHT
RIGHT FOOT IN FRONT OF LEFT
LEFT FOOT IN FRONT OF RIGHT
BUT I DON’T SEEM TO BE GOING ANYWHERE
I MUST KEEP MOVING
HOWEVER
OR I WILL TRIP
AND FALL
THE SPEED MAY VARY
THE SURROUNDINGS MAY CHANGE
RIGHT FOOT IN FRONT OF LEFT
LEFT FOOT IN FRONT OF RIGHT
BUT I DON’T SEEM TO BE GOING ANYWHERE
I MUST KEEP MOVING
HOWEVER
OR I WILL TRIP
AND FALL
I PUSH THE STOP BUTTON
AND RETURN THE NEXT DAY
RIGHT FOOT IN FRONT OF LEFT
LEFT FOOT IN FRONT OF RIGHT
BUT I DON’T SEEM TO BE GOING ANYWHERE
I MUST KEEP MOVING
HOWEVER
UNTIL I FALL
There is treadmill now a time
Always thinking & acting like a mime,
Ready to carry the burden of anyone
But is even bounded by expectations of everyone.
10, 20, 40, 50 till 150 kgs. is its limitation
For god’s sake don’t increase your expectation,
It is always ready to help to reduce your weight
But its only possible if you are going to cooperate.
Run, run on it till you perspire
It’s the only thing you require,
There will be a time when it will be replaced
By some other machine in great disgrace.
Its now or never
Don’t cry and pain your liver,
Take the advantage of this great invention of the millennium
Which we use to call a treadmill with a great enthusiasm.
My love
Was like
Running a race
But on a treadmill
I will always keep running
Keep loving
Even though
I will never
Reach my destination
I me 2
Am fiercely competitive as well
Suppose that is not so much a new
But commonality thread
That bonds us together
Surely makes us in fact human
Like string flaccidly detached from
an ailing kite
Floating slowly ebbing away on
a windless day
With NA emblazoned in bold capital
letters upon it in scarlet red hue on
the front and BS in brown on the back
Signaling another disappointing cost
truly must ensue
As failure and disappointed are
something not a new as you have
had too many
But worry not my erstwhile child as
just as well maybe in your future lie's
Where your kite is taken forth from here
upon it's whimsical journey unto a foreign
land
May just in fact be the very place it
was destined for all along
Where your message is quoted
in winning speeches everywhere
and everyone knows just who you are
Which if you are ever lucky enough
to get to visit 1 day on your travels
Be best prepared for you will be greeted
and treated like a stellar star the likes
of which never seen before
Because in essence of there only be
one true thread that binds us all the
world over
Then your word's and thoughts underpin
and thread effortlessly through the eye
of it's compass needle
And although with love refrain and heavy
heart this may not be deemed your time
and place to shine
Know that if in this particular place in
your own individual unique talent may
not well be appreciated and noticed
Go and take a look outside tonight
whilst twinkle starlight moon doth shine
And realize the world is not just 1 single
place but a multitude of different places
with countless different thoughts ideas
and oh so welcoming faces
Just waiting for the like of you to light
it up with your firework rocket bursts
and spark it into life
The golden king of days,
ruling sky just for hours.
Sparkling jewels of nights,
fading at destined time.
Dipped in wealthy waters,
ah! dark days yet to come.
If feet are soaked in mud,
yes! sun is rising soon.
Slowing down the motor,
running low on gas
The lies, the HOV lane,
the truth off in the grass
The speed counterproductive,
it warps and then transforms
The magic in the stillness,
the beauty heaven born
The light becomes a blurring,
as darkness settles in
Till stepping off the madness,
and travelling within
That fatal rush to judgment,
a quiet now sustains
One choice to stop the treadmill,
—all motion rearranged
(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)
You set my soul on fire like a stack of straw.
You were there to set the blaze, but where were you when it became ash.
In the evidence of absence, I realize i was a fool, trying to get by on my belly.
Not being noticed by the swarm of emotion that is love, i crawl as fast as i can.
Running on that treadmill, going no place all the time.
So i rebuild, and look for a new match to strike me.
Please, go ahead and light me again baby.
Make it burn, and then say goodbye.
You cute little pyro.
It’s a rainy, snowy Tuesday morning, so I headed to our fitness center (in the basement) to walk on a treadmill. On arrival there were four or five guys there. There was a time when that would have been reason enough for me to not go in - if I was alone - I’d skip it, but I feel more at home now.
Late one Sunday night I decided to treadmill. A few guys were there on the weight-cable-machines at the far end of the room (it’s huge) and I decided give it a try anyway.
As I was setting up to walk, this one string-bean of a guy did an funny, exaggerated flex in my direction, saying loudly, “I’m the man of your DREAMS!”
To which I quipped back, “The man of MY dreams would do my chemistry fact-sheet.” (homework)
Which got a laugh from the guys who went back to their workout - ignoring me. That’s when I began to relax.
What life is this when all is not enough?
Each goal achieved precurses one more need
And worldly goods, my bloated ego bluff,
Enslaving me in this sad selfish greed.
The thrill of each success soon flashes past.
Eyes focus then on some new gleaming prize,
Spurred on by hunger, it is mine at last!
I gloat, but then the fire within me dies.
As on wheel’s rim my life flies ever round,
Endures the highs and lows of ev’ry turn.
Desire my master, it does but confound
All logic, yet my tortured senses burn.
Achievements such as these, so dearly bought,
Bring not the love nor happiness I sought.