Young athlete, one machine
Parts are purring, humming together
An effortless fluidity from foot to hand
No thought, it’s instinctive.
Then age will slowly place itself between
the lung and hip and fingertip
You feel the pangs and think;
“Is this muscle or nerve? Arthritis or stress?”
And now the old athlete,
measuring success through a tolerance of pain says
“It’s probably nothing”.
~TH~