Why I Run

Mama has cancer.
I repeat the words with every step.
Slap, slap, slap,
these, the sounds of my soles hitting the pavement.

Running away
Mama has cancer.
Running toward
Mama has cancer.

Sweat pours from every pore.
The runners around me pant in unison.
They want to win,
but I’m GOING to win.

For Mama.
For the pledge money.
For me.

Fuck cancer.

***
16 lines

This poem is dedicated to my dear friend Lindsay and her daughters. You’ve got this, Linds.

Prompt: For tomorrow, write a story or poem about a runner, which takes place during a marathon. To make it more interesting, though, give your protagonist some a primary goal or focus other than winning the race. (Though, of course, winning the race might be a secondary goal.) One of your genres must be SPORTS.