As Time Goes By

(I remember all of this)
 
For too many years I’ve ran and ran
On treadmills  
On dark and lonely boulevards before dawn
I’ve been welcomed by cool breezes and beautiful sunrises  
I’ve been greeted by other runners going their way
And then
For months, I’d slide down an idle path
 
I’ve gone for hours on early morning runs without music
Listening to my breathing
Hearing my thoughts out loud
I’ve also rocked to tunes with beats pounding
Only to run out of breath when the rhythm was too fast
(Gotta find the right ones for your own pace)
And then
For months, I’d crash on the couch
 
I’ve felt my heart tell me to keep going
While my legs screamed “no more”
I’ve felt my lungs working steadily  
While my sides hurt from the previous night’s rice and steak  
(and cheesecake)
As my mind would say “keep your mouth shut
And breathe through your nose”
And then  
For months, I’d get lazy again
 
For way too many decades  
I’ve gone up and down those charts
As time goes by  
The consequences of lethargy mount up
The pace is a little slower
The stride a little shorter
Now with each step I take it aches a little more
But my heart tells me I can be there again
 
For me
As I approach half a century
I ask myself
What’s it going to be in ’24?
 
Stay tuned