June 7: The Cliff

One’s first activity in several weeks

That works to stretch the body and the mind

Is sure to put some roses in one’s cheeks

And afterward will help one to unwind,

Endorphin clouds in which the body drifts,

Warm muscles loose, the brain demanding naps,

All make one blissfully oblivious

To immanent and foreordained collapse.

When it arrives, it turns the brain to lead,

Joints crack and new-found aches belie contusion,

While stiffness spreads through shoulders, neck, and head,

Attempts at cogent thought en...