by David Bolton.
I walk the steps of time
Prana leading the way
Slow, deep breathes
Up the stadium staircase
Feel the pounding of the heart
Fingers tingling with heat
At the top, hands on hips, a scan at the sky
Below: joggers, lacrosse players and wanderers
Time for the descent
Down and up, down and up, down and up…
The heart slows its beat, a rich stream
Flows through the cavity, in blue, out red
800 steps, one by one, up and down
Then an amble on home.
Girls skip by this old man
Perhaps sisters, 8 and 5.
Gliding over concrete
I once had daughters with coltish legs,
Skipping down the lane
Now the wheel turns, the cycle nearly complete
Not yet, Brother Death… sheath that scythe!
I am a warrior for the new generation
Granddaughters, 5 months apart
Just getting started
Don’t have time to die
Gotta keep the machine in shape
Walking the steps of time.