Vital Trek of Life

Tribute to Eagle Island

Prelude:

Dear Eagle Island, thy great potholes shimmer so bright,

Despite the incredible masses of them, individually they shine bright.

Oh, how lovely it would be, to nuke the entire park,

No more agony and pain, tears at the dreary start.

Every year children beg, for a new place to run

But inevitably once more, this running destination kills the fun.

While you put on a fake smile, every year for big meets

We all know thy intentions, they are everything but sweet.

The horror included in your geography and shape

The hill incline, and sand, and the long stretches with no escape

Promise me this, my old dear friend

No more kids shall you torment, please no more harm in the end

You still give me nightmares, and my example is below

Of a casual day on the course, years and years after all the woe…

From a distance I look across the gloomy, dirt park,

To see kids limping through the sandy beach dark

The agony demanded when running up the tiresome hill

The course that was so brutal, it was simply meant to kill

How could this be real? I thought. I’m alone at this place?!

But the nightmares continued, and my body remembered a slow pace

That was familiar to me, from many years in the past

The treacherous course I once ran on, I was retired from at last

Yet my lungs still burned, reminiscing on my misery

But more importantly the races here and their turtle-like consistency

I had to escape, before my old heart broke down

And I transformed into the younger me, a finisher with just a frown

I couldn’t believe my eyes, I was back in the place

Where I despised to run, every meet was a disgrace

But the bitterness started to hide, as I heard a familiar sound

Of the cowbells and yelling, filling my ears bound after bound

I then woke up from my nightmare, to realize it’s teachings

How could I possibly interpret, all these nostalgic feelings?

“Maybe this place wasn’t so bad!” with confusion I then thought

The passion for the sport was evident, which I had commonly sought

So Eagle island, while you still may be quite miserable

I have some respect for your ability, your unifying skills are considerable

While I still hope to never step foot on your turf again

I recognize your strengths in using pain to bring together men