Runner

i know why i feel tired
it is part a lack
of caffiene
(synthetic energy, not to be
confused with vitality)
it is part this
Chlorpheniramine Maleate.
An antihistamine.
anti - his - ___ - mine.
a cold.

then there's that thing
i've been doing lately
where i carry myself.

i'm not used to it.

when i finally rest
the little aches will make
themselves known.
a torn ligament. something sprained.
things you don't feel in the heat
of the violence you inflict
upon your body, unknowingly.
still,
it's muscle built.
you learn where you're strongest,
you learn where you're weakest.
you learn where to lay off and where
to step up.
when i finally rest
i'll feel what i hurt.
right now, i run.
i pump the figurative iron.
i don't feel anything.
i just keep counting.