My heart pounds like a piston
pumping lava through my chest.
Let it burn.
My lungs scream for air
gasping and wheezing
running in rhythm
with the smack of soles
against blacktop.
Let it burn.
My flesh feels like rubber
my bones feel like lead
hotter and heavier
with every step.
Let it burn.
The Rocky theme
thunders through my brain
burns through my veins
driving me insane.
Gonna fly now
gonna fly now.
I pick up the pace
and both feet are in the air
and I’m finally flying.
Let it burn.
Visions swirl around me
like midnight fog.
Let it burn.
Glimpses of a body
slumped in front of a computer
too cold and stiff to move.
Let it burn.
Glimpses of metal shelves
filled with lead boxes
too heavy to lift
gaunt muscles straining
and breaking
under impossible weight.
Let it burn.
Glimpses of distant shimmering cities
and climax hardwood forests
that I’ve never seen
but could have.
Let it burn.
Glimpses of the smoldering eyes
the soulful faces
of beautiful women
that I’ve never held
but should have.
Let it burn.
The ghosts of
Past, Present, Future
are at my heels
hunting me like howling hellhounds
the stench of their hot breath
drenching me in sweat
driving me onward.
I feel like a sword
held over white hot coals
pounded by the hammer of my will
against the pavement beneath my feet
cooled by the wind and the rain.
I don’t know
if I can take another step.
I don’t know
if my heart will burst
or my lungs will bleed
or my body will collapse
just shy of the finish line.
But I know
I feel freedom burning in my veins
and I know
I won’t go back
to that cold body
and that empty room
and I know
I won’t stop
until I reach my destination
or die trying.
Let it burn
let it burn
let it burn.