I was meant for this
The swift rushing wind
The shouts and cheers
Nimble feet on trodden ground
I was almost there
My spirit soared
Victory was mine
It happened then
The unthinkable
Excruciating pain shot through my being
My body on fire
Unquenchable
Through a haze
I felt myself being lifted
And then I blacked out
Life appeared to be no longer worth living
Days passed in treacherous solitude
Tiredness of everything and everyone
All sparks of joy evaporated
Angry became my middle name
My family, the unfortunate recipient
Tiptoeing around me all day long
Lest they do or say anything wrong
And spark an unjustly wrath
Till I looked in the mirror
And saw a face so unlike mine
Sunken eyes
Unblinking and fierce
With every trace of humour gone
My lips unsmiling
Where formerly smiles had adorned them
All day long
It was time for a change
I had moped for far too long
Self-pity enveloping me
Singing dirges in my ears
Blinding me till all I saw was darkness
Taking away my joy and happiness
Channelling all my energy to sadness
I refused to be subdued any longer
Training with a vengeance
My body refusing to respond at first
Till I pushed harder with all my strength
Getting back in shape was a grueling task
Giving up then seemed like the smartest choice
Until persistence knocked on my door
And perseverance beckoned to me
Changing of short raspy breaths
Stamina dancing with glee
Speed becoming a second skin
I found myself moving even faster than before
Time trying her best to outdo me
And failing miserably
The hour had come
For me to prove myself
Battling with all that was within and without
Till I saw the flag of victory
Waving frantically as if to say welcome back!
Legs outstretched
Eyes fixed straight ahead
Hands itching to swing
I took the first step
And then a second
Feeling the world whirl by
A blur of red, yellow and green
Screams from one end
Shouts from another
The pounding of feet
Moving at different speeds
The swirling of sand
Beads of sweat trickling down
Breath growing more uneven by the second
And finally the last few steps covered
With a new burst of energy
The finish line a thing of the past
I had made it!
Victory smiled
A beautiful broad smile
Just for me