Sometimes when I'm
running
and my knees are
bobbing in their
  straight and bend,
  and I'm follow
ing the
canal
   path-
     and my
little lungs have
started their quickened
rise and
fall-

there are white tailed
rabbits and
   small black
ducks- sometimes
straw-colored grasshoppers
frozen in
    fear-for-my-running-

and then there's
me  
       me.
questioning if I'm
                                 pushing
hard enough
      fast enough
           Am I
tough enough?
good enough?
Is this enough?

I don't want to hold
       back, but I can
only
breathe so
     hard.