Magazine Posts

I've lost some weight.
I didn't try,
To lose this much for
This old guy.
It's OK for me to say,
As I reply,
I can now see my toes,
When I try.

The heart will always know
where it would like to go.
The brain, has the pain,
saying No more, once again.

Go into the darkest night,
flashlight in hand.
Look for your life's truth
and you will understand,
the sadness of others
you can provide a hand.

May I talk to you
about the tree, Yew?

Here I am, once more,
it is 5 in the morning
of the day before.
Don't you worry, it is just me
ridding my mind, peripherally.
The words rattle out, many now
as I have fallen into lunacy.

When the words spill from old me,
my brain is now, running on empty.
Random thoughts, peruse this old man's brain,
the train left the station, here I remain.

A frightful night. Too many words unsaid.
Never, never argue before going to bed.

The image, mine, in the mirror,
was slowly fading; about to disappear.
"An omen?" Someone asked me.
"Your spirit" I said, "We agree,
is going; slowly now, from thee.

A rendezvous,
a short embrace,
another glimpse
of your face.
A mysterious look
in those eyes,
wasn't a guess
but a surmise.
Cut in half,
not a whole,
you have now
touched my soul.
A lost love
from long ago,
came from above.
Love is so
about the giving.
All I know.

The years have gone by so quickly, it seems like yesterday.
Memories live on, although the running does not.
I started running, as I recall, to get into better
shape and be more fit, to play soccer. I fell in love
with the sport when I started to coach our children,
but I digress.
I didn't like rising early to "Go for a run." I preferred
the time after work. The running craze had started about
then but there was little information, small choice of
equipment (shoes) and small running events.
My first running shoes, were Pumas. They were heavy,
bulky, with leather insoles. They were pretty, leather but
not really a running shoe.
When I arrived home, I knew I had better change to my
running gear, or I wouldn't get out the door. I would
put on the Pumas, swimming trunks, t shirt and a light
windbreaker and take off.
I had several training "loops" a variety of distances. The one
I used most was approximately 4 miles. I would run this
loop every night or sometimes reverse direction.
The slap, slap of my heavy shoes would establish a cadence
of noise. There wasn't any Sony Walkman as of yet as that
would come later. I found when I had music going it made
running easier. When I started I had to slow down and walk
if I were going to complete the course. As the training progressed
my conditioning became stronger and I could do the 4 miles, and
not have to walk. The same applied as I ran the longer routes
of 6, 10 and 15 miles. I must admit the word "running" could be
construed incorrectly and should probably be titled, "jogging".
I recall entering a 10K, or 6.2 mile run, in Bellevue. I was moving
along pretty nice, for me, when a runner with a rope around his
waist, passed me. Hanging on to the rope was a well know runner,
named, Norm Bright. He was blind. I was not.
Over the years I entered many of the so called, "fun runs"
I entered, along with a friend, the Vancouver, Canada, Marathon,
in May 1990. I started and finished the 26.2 mile run with an
occasional walk. My time was 4hours, 5 minutes.
I will long remember the feeling of elation, which came over me,
when finishing. 1990 was also, the year I ran a total of 4 marathons,
Vancouver, The Goodwill Games, Portland and the Seattle Marathon.
I didn't say I was smart, but I was very fit.

A journey too long,
One trip to far
When traveling by car.
It matters not who
Or where you are,
If you end up
Back in the Bar.

Out of my way.
Get off the path,
lest you incur
my terrible wrath.