The Run

The Run
by Gabe Redel


Just below the low sun
is a body
pressed by oppression,
as if the sun
were right on his shoulders.

His suffering
guides his journey
into battle.

The rise of warriors smooth his path.
Continually stretching toward victory
pulls on his arms and legs
in places that haven’t healed.

The war fights his mind
as he rounds the field pond
and ducks into the shadow of the woods.

His first struggle is on the hill.
It breaks his stride and his sweat.
His lungs burn down to his legs.

But the chant his people sing
pushes through his mind
and soaks into his bones.
Strength rises not from his muscles
but from his mind as it 
subdues his body to do his will.

He presses against his oppressor
knowing that it is better to find strength
in suffering
than it is to die to weakness.