A Sad Departure

When every last muscle aches and cries,
         and every second a little part of you dies,
when you give all your strength but you're barely getting by,
         and you fail again with every try.

When you push through the pain,
         all the clouds and the rain,
and give your all for your own gain,
         but in the end it's all in vain.

You want to quit and call it a day,
         you want to throw in the towel and run away,
but there's something there that makes you stay,
         when everything's starting to look a little gray.

Your body is numb and the pain is gone,
         you feel like running a marathon,
but your strength is short, and then it's gone,
         but you still need to finish strong.

Time has slowed, and almost stopped,
         you can clearly hear each tick and tock,
every detail seems to pop,
         see the sweat rolling down in drops.

The whistle blows and you instantly freeze,
         you can't stand up, put your hands on your knees,
everything else just seems to cease,
         tell me it's over, please, please...

It's not even close and hell continues,
         you can now feel every cut, scrape, and bruise,
you feel like you've already paid your dues,
         but it's your dream you must pursue.

What is that gives that extra drive?
         Without it you wouldn't be here alive,
there's no way you could have survived,
         but imagine if you had really tried.

It's seems that there's no end in sight,
         and you dread waking up from every night,
not to cry takes all your might,
         every day is another fight.

Then it ends and you can go,
         but there's a hindrance to that pretty glow,
what it is you just don't know,
         but the seed you've planted has started to grow.

This place is where you left your heart,
         this is not an ending, but a start,
and it's very difficult to part,
         with the place where you have left your heart.