A Passing Day (Canto III)

Canto III: The Challenge I shook my head to gather all my wits, And bring my focus back into the run, Recoup the time I gave to beauty's glitz, To leave it far behind and be undone. As I again fell back into my pace, With my foot falls like the ticking of time, Someone ran alongside me for a race; He grinned and sped ahead at double-time. His grin awoke my competitive fire; I pressed the pace to run alongside him -- A dare to see who would lose step and tire, The where and when settled by our bare limbs. I saw nothing else but what was ahead; I heard nothing else but my pulsing heart; I felt nothing else but the wind's cold threads -- The run took hold of me in every part. My burning legs and lungs slammed on the breaks. I looked around, the trees were new to me Along a route I'd never planned to take. I looked and looked but there was only me. ©️pgmr 01/07/2025