endurance

I looked past the window pane and saw the gray bleak sky,

and felt the chill left in the house where all the quiet abides.

I’m not sure which bird I heard but off in distance it sings,

And I listen until the quiet resumes, then hear him once again.

Ice has passed and snow’s to come, blanketing frozen ground,

as I walked among the woods a breaking crunching sound

of frozen earth reminds me of the labored year has passed.

We look for good news to come, and hope that will surpass.

This hope was birthed among the timbers and quiet baby born,

yet the world goes on the same, even after Christmas morn.

Listen, even as the year ends, Father times bids us farewell,

while the story remains anew among the promised tale

of birth and baby, poverty persist and still it overcomes,

rage and war and even death as life brought by a son.

Copyrighted:  CMM  2008

I talk myself into my run

one foot in front of the other

climbing upwards challenged

laboring a little

just enough to remind me

my humanness

I pass birds calling

aged trees standing still

among the wood line

while wild brown-eyed susans

wink in sway with a soft wind

a wind I need to release me

I do not stop until the trail ends

copyrighted:   2017 CMM 

I walk upon the canvas

the gray and green elephants 

walk around me. 

Always in dimensional lights

of bright and then dim

the gathering of familiar faces

was all that I could see. 

I look to see upstairs to find

and you were not there. 

I continued down the stairs 

the face of your adversary 

standing fatter and pompous.

A distant call was hung into space

I heard the gritty sound of ignorance,

I heard the sound of disgrace.

I never saw but knew.

I asked this fatter one where,

where were you? 

He turned to another and gave directions

I could no longer contain the pain,

as I beat upon his chest and

cried with years of disdain…  

Copyrighted:  CMM 2016

I gather grit

I gather me

A day of solitude

a day succeed

Stones and pebbles

in my path

mud and slides

become my wrath

I listen to my body

labors to go on

I do not stop

the road is long

My head is leading

through the race

my legs continue

to keep the pace

Times I feel faint

and others strong

but I did endure

I did belong.

©  CMM   2015

Half Marathon
(13.2 Battery went dead on my run)

Bleached white and muted grey wood line

Covered with spots of unthawed snow,

Patches of green grass left from summer.

The smoky grey morning clouds hang heavy

As the morning light breaks into a shadow cast.

Winter has taken hold into arctic temperatures

And still nature stays attentive to coming storms.

Sitting at my desk I am taken aback as one brave

Bird dares to break the silence and sing of spring

A slip, a footing,

both pent against the wedge of panic’s doom.

A slice of electrical surge

crippling my stance.

Yanking the distorted foot

out of its pitted doom,

it stops me,

I wait.

A balance of consciousness,

a throbbing searing surge,

I step broken

one in front of the other.

Stepping into the climb,

one step, then two; more.

Top of the stairs,

a morose pause, then endurance—

I continue on to class.

© Christine McNeill-Matteson  2000

The Ride

I look into his face,
the eyes of steely black,
knowing for him to survive,
I must mount his back.