As I run on the Lakefront Trail, sometimes I pass the ducks and smile
Seeing non-menacing creatures like ducks, (as opposed to the geese),
I feel genuine innocence, especially with ducklings near
Running takes up much of my time but I often see such beauty
Until you pass a fisherman with a crane just twelve feet away
Nonchalantly waiting for fish to pull the line in the water
Only then will you understand why I run around Chicago
Not only do I see wildlife acting normal around people
To bear witness with my presence, ever-fleeting, ephemeral
Holding neither a camera nor my breath as I pass such marvels
Emerging out of nothingness and returning to emptiness
Lightning strikes on a stormy day and I am there to bear witness
Animals appear in the night like a nursery of raccoons
Kissing cousins to bears, I am afraid and slow down as I pass
Every animal exhibits defensive behaviors at times
From my vantage point, I have seen coyotes wary of my steps
Rabbits appear ubiquitous as I run north to Evanston
On a good day, I see squirrels frolic and play with each other
Nevermind the urban rodents, huge rats as big as a small dog
To run at night or in the day, I see all sorts of animals
To think of us as rational animals as Aristotle
Reminded us that we all share in the wilderness of nature
As we use words to help define our place within the universe
I imagine the fisherman feeding the crane fish he catches
Like a subtle symbiotic relationship that cares for needs
Since I was a boy, I ran fast and for long distances as such
Only as an adult, I run further away to see the sights
Maybe I witness not a thing worth mentioning to my girlfriend
Ever since I was laid off from working at the bookstore, I ran
To say I picked up the habit again to help me think clearly
I know it sounds strange but illness covers the mind like a blanket
Made of snow that melts with the spring and returns again in winter
Even my chronic depression hides during marathon training
So I train year-round in the snow and ice, the rain, the heat, the wind
I wish I could go train elsewhere at times but Chicago is home
Perhaps one day, I will go see wildlife, the animals, elsewhere
As I grow older, my body becomes less flexible like trees
Still, I stretch and work on balance to maintain this lifestyle for years
Some people are in awe of what I do in my spare time, I run
To see the sights, the animals, free within their own habitat
Hungry for solitude to think, some quiet time to remember
Emotions that make me upset embedded in lost memories
Difficult to process alone, I listen to my breath, let go
Ugly hateful ideas of past experiences, the beauty
Culled up in my experience while running effaces the past
Kiss painful emotions goodbye, better than psychotherapy
Still it helps to have a sober mind and outlook as moderate
Aristotle helped shape our minds with logic from Antiquity
Not to belittle therapy, behind closed doors with lock and key
Ducklings waddle behind mothers and fathers to form a family
Since my own idea of family was distorted since my childhood
Maybe I can imagine ducks as good parents to their ducklings
I am, of course, being facile, simple-minded and neglectful
Let go of all the misery this world has to offer, these ducks
Elicit smiles from all who pass, their innocence, non-menacing
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