Decided it was important to recover after three days of 5+ miles. So, I rested. Came across an article about Alexi Pappas, the elite runner/poet. Here’s what she writes about the connections between poetry and running:
In poetry, “there’s such an economy of words. I love having absolute freedom within boundaries. And in running, similarly, there are limitations. You might have a certain lane you have to stay in or a certain number of laps. But within those boundaries, there’s so much room for creativity and personality.”
Here are two of her poems:
Poem One
When I sprint
my insides
are not all there
they are instead gasping
screeching flapping
baby bird beaks
who beg cry
declare
brave and scared
I seek worms in the form of air
Poem Two
Tree Perfume (source)
I can’t remember where
if I was alone
if there was a we
how fast or how long
how long ago
or anything
actually
I remember
the smell
was a concentration of trees
steeped on me
like tea
I remember wishing
it never falls off me.