my feet bandaged,
my hair pulled back,
my headphones set,
my stretching complete

with the play button I ran
my pulse excelled
sweat began
breathing rigid and hoarse with my dry throat

and then the skip
and then the fuzz
and then the silence

my energy drained
the heat sunk in
my shoes biting
my endurance failing

to the concrete with the music
shattering down
along with the idea of a run

no bike-ride for me
flat tire
no running for me
old shoes
and broken music

tears streamed

why can’t I just worship this time
without the brick wall