Krista Nielsen

MADLY RUNNING

Tearing up the pavement
I pass all the other students in P.E.
But talent is not what drives me;
The plastic cage around my back
Turns the ninety-degree weather into a hundred.

The sweat all over me
Feels as thick as running blood
Can I last a moment longer
Tripping in the mud?
Finish line in site,
I know that is not the farthest point;
It is a longer distance
To the air-conditioned respite.

The whistle blows.

Eight minutes, ten seconds
At least I've lived that long.

Krista Nielsen is a professional writer and artist whose works focus on the abstract nature of memories and self-introspection. Her favorite quote by Piet Hein is "Here is a fact that should help you to fight a bit longer: What does not kill you outright makes you stronger."