~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They arrive before dawn~
antlers strapped to stocking caps,
felt noses safety-pinned to fleece.
Downtown Dallas exhales frost
as hooves slap pavement~
a migration of office workers,
lawyers, bankers, teachers,
students, retirees~
all briefly ungulate,
pounding
the urban tundra
while above them,
skyscrapers
turn into frozen pines.
The Finish Line smells of gingerbread
and spilled energy drinks.
No one wins, but
everyone who gallops across
the Finish Line receives a red t-shirt
proclaiming:
I ran with the herd.
Ahead a trail that stretches with his finish line unseen,
at the start he ponders what this one will mean,
this obstacle will be like no other he thought,
an obstacle different than everything he's fought,
cool crisp morning air fills his lung,
pistol raises, the starting chime has rung,
months of discipline has lead him here,
even the thought of loss isnt severe,
content the journey was the path to the start,
this trail, this obstacle will be the final part,
cloud of orange dust left at the beginning,
a pack of runners begins thinning,
weaving through Utah's canyon,
traverse to reveal the true champion,
his stride and breathing has reached the maximus,
by endurance we conquer - Fortitudine Vincimus,
ahead the finish line still unseen,
but now he knows what this will all mean.
For my good friend Matt, Ultra marathon runner. May you let no obstacles get in way of your mission!
All my life,
I’ve ran from what is,
Out of fear, but hope too,
For my minutes with you are short.
I run for
You, I run towards you, afraid that all
Of us are broken, the
Clock does not mend lives,
It just breaks us again, so I
Will keep running, I have
Dreams, I’ve lovingly dreamed,
I run after them for those of
Us that are afraid to keep living.
Legs pumping, muscles screaming
Eyes transfixed, seeing but not seeing,
Mind wandering sometimes dreaming
Heart thumping, loudly beating.
Body glistening, pace increasing,
No thought other than just breathing,
Inner voice gently pleading,
It's against me that you're competing.
Hardened gaze, resolve seeking
Any thought of slowing down but fleeting,
End in sight, goal achieving,
In determination solely now believing.
Then it’s done, smile seeping
Hands on thighs, tension fast releasing,
Time to rest, morning breeze fast cooling,
A sense of private purpose sweeping.
This day’s success a moment surely fleeting,
Yet little tops this burst of joyful feeling.
Mist creeps upward from the valley below,
As morning chill in the air settles down
New River rages ‘neath a dense foggy flow.
First rafts set off the launch, a “heave ho!”
Tourists watching, some frightened, frown
Mist creeps upward from the valley below.
Younger, experienced rafters love the show
River rapid’s tour guides put on the clown
New River rages ‘neath a dense foggy flow.
The first stretch of the run is rather shallow,
Little chance of the canoe running aground
Mist creeps upward from the valley below.
Soon spying the Class Three rapids, a bellow
But squealing first-timers drown out sound,
New River rages ‘neath a dense foggy flow.
Hours later elated runners will tip the fellow
Reaching the shore and their land legs found
Mist creeps upward from the valley below
New River rages ‘neath a dense foggy flow.
Written June 15, 2022
in
reluctant
teardrops
plop
visions
of my field
of dreams
a bloody
track
of cinders
where
schemed
lithe
runners
to box me in
and ere
i fell
this
lonely race
become
my requiem
the runners cursive
upon new fallen winter
rake leans against rails
11/5/2019
A late Fall or Early Winter Haiku Poetry Contest
Sponsor - Tania Kitchin
runners - either of the longitudinal pieces on which a sled or sleigh slides
San Francisco
She ran in the Bay to Breakers,
Heavy sweat baptizing her furrowed
brow.
Now, decades later, she ponders
how she was able to endure it.
How, how, how?
The thunder of Nike fitted running
shoes,
The ebullient jubilance and shouts
of happy,supporting crowds.
It was truly, a "fait accompli,"she
comprehends that all, smiling
in satisfaction, now.
She was but a wave in a running
sea of humanity.
Discovering a new capacity.
To run, run, run!
Indeed, 'twas truly her most
glorious, triumphant epiphany.
August 2, 2019
1:30am PST
M-inutes
A-re
N-ature's
T-ime
R-unners
A-s
N-ight
A-nd
A-nother
G-ray
A-re
R-eplaced
W-ith
A-pparent
L-ight
Topic: Poetess (Mantrana Agarwal)
Form: Vertical Monocrostic
Tarahumara Indians are the best runners in the world
They are light of foot and body,
Super fit, in terrific shape.
They are healthy beyond healthy,
Snaking over rocky terrain,
They are limber, lean and stealthy.
But when they move off the mountain,
Worse, begin eating processed foods,
And stop running around the mountain tops
They get into unhealthy trouble
Their muscles rapidly turn into fat.
Distorting into a person they no longer know
Run back to your Mountaintop, Young men!
Run, Tarahumara Women, run and do not look back!
If we thought we could keep up
We would be right behind you.
We’re the chariots of fire that feeds the human spirit
We’ve made the open road our number one sport
We thirst for the eye stinging, soaking buckets of sweat
And find the bitter pain of our aching muscles sweet
We defy gravity with each effortless stride
And set new personal best(s) with glory and pride
We have the beating of our chronological age
We remain true to our roots, our human heritage
We’re Runners
(circa 2011)
Tip toe, tip toe.
Going nowhere fast-
Rave for your lives, before it all burns and crash.
Divide your feelings amongst the ones that you
believe should matter.
Don't mind the shrugs, the pointless chatter. Tip toe.
must go. run, into the fear.
its the only way to get there. faster faster.
taking things slow, is to saying no
to the possibilities beyond the trees. Before it disappears below the pavement. tip toe is the fear.
A group of dreamers
Running through the maze of life
Chased by minotaurs,
Though most will fail, they rejoice
Knowing some will make it home
Three mischief makers,
Larry, Lester and Lew,
slipped some wriggly white mice,
inside of their mothers' shoes.
Three screaming mothers,
threw up their hands and ran.
"We're in trouble," screamed Lester,
"Does anyone have a plan?"
"Stick out your lips," shouted Larry,
running as fast as he could go.
"Stretch, stretch, stretch your lips,
and they will start to grow."
Lips, lips, lips,
now the running boys could see,
their lower lips were stretching,
far below their knees!
Down the street the mothers ran,
chasing Larry, Lester and Lew.
But as every kid on the block now knows,
three lips are faster than two!
We don’t run the way we used to
ten kilometers pounding
hard through switchback trails
to beat the twilight
Twenty-odd years ago
you wanted marriage
kids and a life
any life
away from your parents
but nothing of marriage, held
my imagination
like Big Apple freaks
casually smoking
creatively shaping
thoughts of a future self
And then you went and
lived your life - exactly as planned
while I stayed and
got lost in the idea of it
And now when we run
I can always see
shadows falling
away from ourselves
moving toward
the finish
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