Rambunctious leaves nestle the bike path
in banana yellows and tar browns.
The clicking of the bike spokes
snap with each intrusive thought.
He cannot escape the rotating problems
circling round and round in his mind.
Clinkity clankity weights slam
with reckless abandon.
Ignoring the mannequin muscleheads
with plastic physiques,
his shaking biceps drop the barbells.
He can barely hold on under the
weight of his worries this morning.
Bright white marble monuments
of venerated Presidents and triumphant
war heroes displayed on every corner.
Against the morning sun, however,
this runner just feels black inside.
Each step pounding, pounding, pounding–
trying to escape the darkness.
With that first jump in the pool,
every inch of his skin shimmers.
As his body breaks the pudding-like
surface of the water, goosebump emergent,
he holds his breath. Soon finding a rhythm,
he strokes and exhales, hoping this chlorine
Baptism will cleanse his anxiety.
Lying in bed, staring at the invisible spot on the
dark ceiling, prayers and hopes fill the cloud
of exhaustion from his physical exertion.
Can all this exercise quell his overactive brain?
For all he really wants–is a few moments of rest,
and a healthy way to escape his torments.
INSTANT NOODLES 