Aphelion

running, running, running...
looking forward towards the finish line,
never looking back.

Passing the crowd, the roaring crowed, the crowd with no faces.
Suddenly; silence.

In slow motion the untidy mass of laces connive with gravity...
falling fast forward
hands out
gasping with the reality of what should never happen,
my last glance was of the many fast feet passing by.

The roar of sound came back as my body skidded over gravel and blade
grass green mixing with red blood
upon my face was shame
upon my lips held tightly the grimace of pain.

Ahead, the ribbon was broken by those who never stumbled.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
...

I walked from my world in tears
I ran from the place
never to finish what I always started
living in a self-imposed disgrace,
knowing now I could never again finish first or second or any other place;
for me the race of life left my body that day,
the race was finally finished.
***

thank you very much for the kind words Mark.

Rick, a most wonderful form of sentences. Good job.
***

It All Comes Out...At the End

So wonderful to see all the smiling faces.
Aunt Rose
Uncle Pete
Cousin Vulga,
and look, all the wonderful food to eat!

Pastries piled high,
roast beef and mutton pie,
figs with little tarts,
blood pudding, and is it, could it be,
flaming cherry jubilee?

"That Robin was a dirty s.o.b. Never amounted to much did he."
(said in a poem by many about many, just substitute any name going back an eternity, for those still alive)
"Yes, he/she was a dirty minded (censored) How could anyone even stand near them."
All those wonderful words of hate said while you're still alive,
and yet,
in death there is a feast.

Round and round the table,
glasses lifted in toast for the one toasted in ashes,
all telling stories of how wonderful he/she was
all while feasting and joking,
choking down,
gulping down,
slurping down,
while in the ground,
worms too, feasted.

It's all the same in life,
the lies,
the joy,
the end.
And while soon those left alive are sated-
talking bad about others still alive-
you would think about the recently deceased,
'forgotten?'

As others lived their remaining life,
after only six hours pass there come another end,
as from what is in their minds and heart,
is all flushed down the toilet.