They're on their marks
Off goes the gun --
Speedy legs, pounding feet
Bodies, individuals,
Lives
Passing by me
At warp speed.
As a child,
Life seemed a marathon --
Never quite getting
What we want, where we want,
When we want.
The romantic notion
Of adulthood
Looming distantly ahead.
Now --
Life seems a sprint,
A 200 meter race
In which everyone
Is passing me.
The desire remains
To "get there first" --
With new urgency.
Keep up with colleagues,
Neighbors, enemies
Who entice me
To eat their dust.
But at what cost?
Finish one race,
And run another
With no reprieve
In sight.
Start and finish
Over and over again,
The field changes
With each new start.
No matter how long
Or how short,
Hold back,
Hold on,
Enjoy the feeling,
The scenery,
The JOY
You experience
From the race itself.
For in doing so...
You are indeed
The true winner.