I didn’t
run today
And I can tell
the difference
When I say
run
Don’t get
the wrong idea
Don’t
picture a version of me
Bone skinny
Huffing along
With the
gait of a gazelle
Gliding
along
Lightly touching
the earth
Letting the
miles fall behind me
I say run
in quotations
It means I
am leaving the house
Early in
the morning
Before work
By myself
With running
shoes on
I do jog
in a running position
For about the
first 50 yards
Adding a
foot or two each day
Visualizing
further distances
In the
distracted moments
Then I walk
briskly
Without stopping
Down the
dirt road
Followed by
a caravan of dogs
If you saw
me you’d wonder
Maybe even
feel bad
I think
sometimes I am watched
As I pass
a neighbor
Them with
toast in hand
Checking the
weather out the window
Catch site
of me
Plodding along
Red faced
Breathing hard
And their
gaze lingers
It is
their good Samaritan moment
Because if
I suddenly grasp my left arm
Fall to
the ground
Convulsing
and writhing in pain
They can
start of their day as a hero
Run to my
side
Dial 911
Give expert,
clear directions
But I’m
not doing as bad as I look
I don’t
push it that hard
My face
may be red
But I wear a serene look
This is
my time I think
Or
it is a time I try to
Watching the
grass grow
As the first
birds of morning
Land in
their assigned spots
On
the crisscross of power lines
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