Running in Circles

Tonight I am tired

in my bones

Deep-soul tired

and

When I close my eyes

I can hear my feet

pounding the earth

in a heartbeat cadence

The cool of the evening

swallowing me as if I’m in another place and time —

And, isn’t that the point?

Some of us run for accolades

Trophies to hold over our heads in triumph and prove we didn’t give up

But some of us run because we are being chased

Every day

Can never escape

the barrage of voices and feelings

that warn if we slow down

we’ll be weighed down

I don’t run to win–

I run to live

I run to be numb

I run because if I

silenced my steps

The words I want to speak would shatter my world like a

porcelain vase

My inner-world

that keeps me safe

That makes me believe

that maybe

I’ll stumble into a space 

that is safe to share the world I’ve buried

far below the surface

where everything fragile is

Maybe I’ll find this place

if I don’t slow down