Too Many Miles

Copyright © May 17, 2002 by Richard J. Sereday Jr.
All rights reserved

I meet you, paper,
to tell my tale
of my journey 
of too many mile.

It began the morn
with chill in air 
as foul weather
did loom forlorn.

I did not heed
the warning signs,
the unstoppable machine
that I was,
as I did trod ahead. 

What could stop me,
this I asked,
and no answer 
could be found, 
or at least not at that time.

As my journey continued,
the foulness increased
as the weather, it did turn.

A gray mist began
to fill the air
and a wind
did drive it home.

This gray mist did slowly
soak into my soul, 
as bone became the depth
that this chill did find,
driven by the ever increasing winds.

Thicker and thicker
the mist became
until no knife
could cut through. 

More and more
soaked did I become,
as each step was behind me.

My legs, my legs,
they let me know,
that they weren't into this day. 

Their pain,
it slowly crept
it's way up,
at least slowly at first.

Needles and pins
and burning hot glass
must surely cover to knee,
I feel it, yes I do, 
but when I look,
none do I see.

But it must be there,
without a doubt,
how else could
this pain exist? 

The jabbing
and stabbing
and burning, 
yes it does persist.

So where will my next steps be found,
as my legs have taken their last, they say?

But they are not the boss of me,
I'll show them that today.

They want to test my metal,
along with this freezing rain and wind,
but an unstoppable machine like me,
just never will give in.

They say what does not kill you,
only makes you stronger.

So, what have I learned today, you say?
That agony is just another four letter word.