Track                 Pain
But worth it for the joy
Of getting your varsity letter in
your first race, the amusement of watching the
sophomores be bad examples and sleep four to a small bed at
track camp, and the knowledge that no matter how much you suffer,
you suffer together with friends, friends close enough to call you Jimmy
instead of your actual name, friends close enough to be almost family.
    Track                                                                     Many            One

Late July, and the mosquitoes are out
Blackening the sky with their swarm
15 feet from the campfire
Lurks certain death.

Billy strayed too far
1000 tiny syringes saw their chance
He looked like a strawberry Dalmatian
37 bites, he said
37 small pieces of hell


Late July, and the mosquitoes are out
Billy had learned his lesson
Nothing moves in the blue twilight
Except the mosquitoes
Blackening the sky with their swarm

School days, have to do homework
Alone, not bad,
but Math, English, French together
just like the mosquitoes
Blackening the sky with their swarm

Dear Body,
Why do you torture me so?
Muscles, bones, tendons
All perfectly assembled
So why do you say no to me?
Running, Running, Running
Pain, Pain, Pain

Shin splints, they said
Hip flexor, they said
Once better, the rest
said 'me too!'

Dear Body,
We're in this together
For the long haul
Together we rise
Together we fall

Relief is a shiny spring
The homework is done, and the pressure
and stress is flung off
Like the kid on his pogo stick.
Relief is a shiny spring
Morale, once low, now high,
Pushed up by the spring of relief.
Relief is a shiny spring
Life, once tied down, now soaring,
Flung off like an aircraft catapult
By the spring of relief.

The tree today stands
As it has for many years
And will for lots more

Late July, and the mosquitoes are out
Blackening the sky with their swarm
15 feet from the campfire
Lurks certain death.

Billy strayed too far
1000 tiny syringes saw their chance
He looked like a strawberry Dalmatian
37 bites, he said
37 small pieces of hell


Late July, and the mosquitoes are out
Billy had learned his lesson
Nothing moves in the blue twilight
Except the mosquitoes
Blackening the sky with their swarm