If you couldn’t already tell, I love running. I’ve been super passionate about running since I joined my high school’s track and field team as a freshman! I have gained so much from my experiences as both a track and field sprinter and as a cross country runner. I have learned how to challenge myself and push myself to reach my goals. My teammates have become more like family members to me. Running has been my not only my outlet for these past six years, it has also been a source of inspiration for me. There’s so much beauty and strength to be found in running! So a little while ago, I got inspired and wrote some poetry about the different sides of running. I wrote three poems that make up my tiny collection called The Heart of a Runner. The first poem is called “Quiet Chaos” and it’s about my old cross country days, running through the woods during practice!

Quiet Chaos

A simple path lies under the trees,

With bumps and rocks,

Mud patches and dead leaves,

Fallen logs and steep hills.

Sunlight ripples between the trees.

Somewhere a creek is bubbling,

Sounds of birds calling,

And the feel of the cool breeze.

Then out of nowhere,

With the snap of a twig,

Shouts, laughter, and screams,

Intruders interrupt the Zen-like forest.

They come fast,

With loud complaints,

Heavy breathing,

Crashing through the threshold.

Though they unashamedly disrupt,

The balance of nature,

They are only daily trespassers,

In too much of a hurry to care.

But as quickly as they come,

They vanish,

Taking with them their chaos,

They restore the path to its former tranquility.

The woods adjust to these daily intrusions.

The birds chirp and the creek babbles,

As the shadows continue to dance,

To the music of the wind carrying distant voices.