David Ian Baker

David Ian Baker Jun 2010

Here is that familiar feeling
When the air gets thicker, and sinks to the ground
And my feet drag and slow me down
And I can move just enough to see what’s around
The low-hanging branches and fallen tree limbs
That spot the trail ahead
The curves up the hills, and the shadows around
And the sunlight that once said

“I bear down on you, to see you rise up.
And I shine to show you where
The path ahead of you, today, and in life
Can take you if you care.
I present you a challenge, it’s only fair
That to see what’s ahead, you must try
To stay ahead of your shadow, ahead of the dark
And one day you’ll learn why.
This trail that you run, it keeps on going
Past where you’re running ends today
And if you keep looking up, with both eyes open
You’ll always know the way.
It is part of the search, the endless search
That you’ll find what you’re searching for.
A what or a who, with an open mind
And you won’t have to search anymore.”

And as the sun’s soft whispers, drift farther away
I strain to feel their warmth again
But I know on this run, if I just keep on
I’m one step closer to the end
And this is the feeling, I know so well
When the air gets thicker, and even more
That when I run on these trails, my heart beats on
And I know what I’m searching for

David Ian Baker May 2010

Running Sonnet

A brisk pace set makes my heart beat so fast
The thrill of the run means I feel no pain
With every step onward, strong as the last
I'm lost in my head with the drops of the rain
Wet as the puddles my feet slip into
I glide through the air, floating on pride
The prints in the ground show where I've been through
The grin on my face shows where in my mind
I love the feeling you get on a run
When nothing else matters but what you see
The sights I notice before I am done
The feeling of such raw intensity
The passion inside burns the creator
But I save its hot embers for extinguishing later

David Ian Baker May 2010

I too have a dream

I too have a dream
That the dissonance I’ve known
Will resolve into the air
As ripples diminish into the pools
Whence they came
I see the rolling hills of expression
Tumble into mountains
And the ideas which they form
Will slide down their slopes
And all will be still
In the gentle swaying of our minds
With nothing to disturb
Such a peaceful scene

David Ian Baker May 2010

I, myself...

I am myself
You already know this, but not to the extent that I, myself do
I have found myself, I was never looking, but there I was
I never devoted any part of my life to finding me
But, I always hoped to discover myself eventually
I, myself; am a peculiar sight, and an even more complex thought
My desires and interests are ever-changing
But they are always more confusing than the last
What do I want? That is a good question
I have already found I, myself
So what I currently want, as I, myself
…
I … myself… wish to find you

David Ian Baker May 2010

Beneath

I am beneath a tree branch
It reaches outwards and its weather-worn bark sags to touch me
The dry cracks along the wood tell of its ageless progression
And every inch it grows, it grows upwards, away from its shadow
I am beneath the clouds that the tips of the branch point to
The shapeless forms that move with the wind
And as the wind blows past, it guides the branch to follow the clouds
And these clouds are beneath the sky which hold it
Carried against the chest of the Earth, like a new born infant
And coaxed along the surface, gentle is its path
I am beneath this sky, and I peer up to it
In search of the care it gives the clouds
In search of the hope they give the branch
In search of the will the shadow gives the branch
In search of my own path to be so simply held
Sad as the terminal strive for the next highest step
It is a guiding journey, and through the frustration it makes
It creates clarity, and it makes up a driving voice
And I am beneath this

David Ian Baker May 2010

Too Few Numbers

I count the reasons of love, and I name them all
A list that keeps growing as I count just one more
And I keep counting more, and I’ll keep adding to it
I only fear I know too few numbers

Is it the warmth of another against your own skin;
Is it the comfort of knowing nothing else matters;
Is it the joy within your thoughts as you stare in their eyes;
Is it having no reason to ever be sad?

Is it the pain inside when you can’t be so near;
Is it the fear of losing it all if you aren’t too careful;
Is it the awkward moments that make you want more;
Is it the paranoid thoughts that anything could go wrong?

It seems to me that all of these reasons and thousands more
Are all their own reasons for experiencing love
And I keep counting more, and I add to my list
I only fear I know too few numbers

David Ian Baker May 2010

Over The Hill

So bitter is the pain that sinks deeper inside
I feel as if I’m taking on water
My body refuses to accept such limitless effort
And my mind can do nothing but ignore its pleas
I must pull my collapsing frame forward
Drag myself with the hook of distractions

Speed is but last of my mind’s concerns
But my heart won’t let it forget
It pounds reminders so quickly, It is numb from repetition
My lungs lag behind my falling footsteps
And I am forced to endure for one step after the other
My blood races onwards full of the rage of competition
And I only respond with the most pure instincts
I have to race onwards, I could collapse right now
But I know I can never give up, as something inside me is always fighting
My bones ache with the abuse of nonexistent energy
And as the clock ticks onwards, I only feel more

Beyond comprehension, I am numb and I am safe
And my mind has defeated the begging cries of my body
I am relieved; and the sweet pain of the race
Lets me glide effortlessly to the finish
I run to overcome myself;
and convince myself I feel fine;
I could do this forever;
My mind can handle this;
I enjoy the pain –
and this is the biggest lie within the race
Because I can’t enjoy the pain; I should despise it…

…But I keep coming back for more…

I don’t enjoy the pain;
I love it.