I run
And
The world turns to the pavement beneath my shoes,
My gasps for more air,
And
The pain in my thighs

I run and I can only focus on one thing
The running
And occasionally something
Flits through my mind

Bits of songs decide to worm their way into my brain
And I hear them in my forceful exhales
And gasping inhales of breath

I run to the end of someone’s yard
And then to the end of the next
And the next
And the next

And I run until
My chest is considering throwing itself out of my body
My mouth is dry and swallowing hurts
My legs seize up and refuse to move

And I could run more
But I don’t

Because I can’t even do that