The Dash

Heart pounding like thunder,          

Thoughts running through my head.

I am anxious, nervous, and high-strung

All combined.

But I assure myself I am ready;

Hair pulled back

And determination on the mind.

I get into the starting block,

Stretch, then place my hands between the lines

Of which I am confined.

The shot of the gun – makes my heart stop every time.

But my spikes propel me from my frozen stance,

Not falling behind.

With eyes focused dead straight ahead,          

Arms never ceasing to pump forward and back,

No one can say that I resigned.

The instant my body crosses that finish line,

I feel a sense –

Relief, achievement, and improvement

All intertwined.