We who with songs beguile your pilgrimage / And swear that Beauty lives though lilies die, / We Poets of the proud old lineage / Who sing to find your hearts, we know not why ... (James Elroy Flecker)

7.6.18

A Poem About Running

A Poem About Running

You sent me a poem about running
by someone or other – not you –
just because you liked it,
and thought I might too.

Then you turned and ran
far across landscape and sea,
huge strides clearing the distance
to a ship that sailed off without me.

The running of time is uneven
with many pauses for breath.
But you were quick. I don't know
if you ran towards life or death.

You'd expect me to write you a poem.
You know that's what I do.
Here it is, if you ever come looking –
a poem about running, for you.


Written for Poets United's Midweek Motif ~ Running

16 comments:

  1. Well m'dear you'd better go into training if you are planning on running after one of these bounders. They move like lightning when it comes to 'take off'. Best throw a boomerang. That will stop him in his tracks:)

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  2. It's hard not knowing if our loved one's are chasing life or death. I like how you wove this. It sounds like such a personal poem to someone who left.

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  3. I'll label this a very sweet poem💖

    Much♥️love

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  4. Wow! " I don't know / if you ran towards life or death." OH at least to share the poetry, gifts from our spirit!

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  5. I LOVE this poem! I do hope the person comes to find it!

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  6. Oh, this reached right down into my heart... tears here

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  7. It sounds like someone ran to create distance. I wonder if this person will see your poem?

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  8. What a beautiful sad poem of loss of a dear friend.

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  9. Agree.. the running of time is uneven..sometimes it just stops, breathing heavily in a corner.. I've seen it.

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  10. The poem has a sweet and sad yearning that touches the core. Beautiful, Rosemary.

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  11. These lines gave me pause for thought, Rosemary:
    'The running of time is uneven
    with many pauses for breath.
    But you were quick. I don't know
    if you ran towards life or death.'

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  12. When I read the title, I thought you were about to treat us to something light and fun with lost of gasping and maybe not so unexpected leg cramps in it. Then, you delivered this bomb of feelings. It is so hard to see people we care about run away, leaving us behind with what they believe is enough (or with expectations that we'll follow *as if we don't know better*). I'm glad your speaker is doing what's best for her, not straight telling the runner to get lost, but suggesting that she got the message and will be around if the runner ever comes back (and she is still available).

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  13. I hope the person will come back...running seemed easy for that person to do. Will that person come running home?

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  14. Running toward life or death is a question to reflect on. Beautiful poem, Rosemary.

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