often, i imagine myself running

Often I imagine myself running. At times I am running through a crowd but more often I see myself running all alone. I feel out of breath and tired. Mostly, I feel drained to the point of dropping dead from exhaustion. Rarely, I feel tempted to take a break and catch up on my breath. May be sit down for a few idle moments and store up some energy for the journey ahead. But the journey is too long and I have too little time. So I must not stop. I keep telling myself not to stop. I keep pushing myself to run on.

I run on and on. And yet the road ahead seems never ending. I try to focus on what lies ahead and ignore all that I pass on my way.

I feel thirsty and alone. I feel hungry and cold. But I must not stop. I have come so far. I must not stop now.

In moments of despair I feel I am running in vain.

At times it seems I am getting somewhere but the illusion soon fades away.

Yet day and night, hour after hour I keep running.