Pause

Pause

Running uphill,

I am still wet from the downpour,

Which I heard in the foliage first,

Before the big we drops reached me.

Now the sky is blue,

And the earth like a woman's body,

curves away from me, with fern covered hill.

I can't see where the path goes,

All I can see ahead are towering trees,

Leaves still green, with patches of fire

Gold and red.

And although thoughts race through my mind,

About how I should push and run without rest

Something deeper drives me to pause.

Not for my breath, not for my body,

Which still feels strong moving through space.

But because the leaves are shimmering

In a particular way that excites my senses

Neurons firing, triggering cellular response.

Those leave fluttering in the fitful air,

They awaken me.