Feel the Fire

I think this is what it means to be human. To be a runner. Running with a fire in my thighs. And emptiness in my lungs. It’s almost unbearable. My eyes are burning with my own perspiration. Sweat rolls down my arms, down my chest. Somehow, the sweat glands in my knees have opened and now drip. A gross and satisfying drip. There’s a pinch in the lower part of my rib cage. My hips ache. My knees scream. I see the corner approaching. When I turn that corner, I know there’s a long stretch of land awaiting me. Followed by another corner that will unfold into an even longer expanse. There is a gentle hysteria that bubbles in my stomach. A lovely unease I feel in anticipation for the miles left to run. And I smile. Because I have the dear pleasure of being able to feel.