Ode to Track & Field.

The damp grass is shining like stars

Knowing that on it I will run far

Around the bushes around the trees

When the finish line is waiting for me

Dozens of water bottles, lined up in a row

Along the grass recently mowed

Teammates are running far behind me

Without them I am running free

Practice makes perfect, or so they say

Three meets to train for the last in May

Weather on Chalmers or tartan

Instead of a water bottle I need a carton

Running fast, leaving them behind

Controlling myself with my mind

Thinking of family and friends

And the hope I will win again

The first meet around the bend,

Coach Vazquez at the slide line “fast until the end”

They told me to not go over the line

So I look down just in time

I step over back to my space

But then I fall, almost on my face

Get up I think, just a small mistake

I wonder how many seconds it will take

I get fourth in the race

But luckily not last place

My scabs are bad

But I didn’t cry as it was not sad

Burning my arms

Feeling like thorns

But I have to run again

Run fast till the very end

I get second feeling slower 

Like a lawn mower

Another meet coming up

And in training I won’t stop

I’ll go harder and harder till I die

Going faster than a fly

Next meet is to qualify 

For a championship flying by

We had runners stacked like a pile

And an 8th grade girl with a 5 minute mile

Turns out we didn’t need to qualify 

But in the end why not try?

First in the 100, for my heat

But who knows overall in the meet

200 up now

I want redemption somehow

First again 

Revenge done

Now it is time for fun

I checked the website to see my overall

Two first medals I felt to tall

Now we have another meet coming around

But this time again I won’t fall to the ground