I'm doing Couch to 5K she tells me
Her legs are limber and clad in lycra
I want to tell her that on ancient savannas
Humans would hunt their stronger, faster prey
By forcing it to run
Until it collapsed
I'm training for a Marathon she tells me
And I find my breath catching even though I'm just standing beside her
I want to tell her that Philipedes dropped dead
After his burning lungs burst
'The war is won'
On his blistered lips
Do you do any running?
Her teeth flash white as she asks me
I want to tell her that I ran the length of the country
trying to forget my childhood friends
That I walk the streets of this bottled city
On the balls of my feet
Poised
In case I meet them
I want to tell her that I wasn't too busy to go to the hospital
That I couldn't watch them turn the tap
And drain the fluid from your lungs
That I went to the pub
And left my pint foaming on the table
Do you do any running?
I want to tell her
That this morning, I ran to the lights
So I would be here
When you asked me
