...down Time

I could see every note
Every rudiment down to the last beat
Sticks bouncing smoothly on the snare
As I marked time with my feet

I remember bullets whizzing by
Amid vociferous explosions and screams
A deafening quiet for a second
When soldiers saw me running in the street

I still recall the loud thunder
When lightning hit that tree behind our home
Me, sprinting fast and scared
Feeling a chill down to my bones

But now when I run, I hear my breath
With a steady rhythm in my mind
Every pulse perfectly played
My head slowing down time