Run
I run.
The paved trail winds close to our house and is used by bikers, runners, and walkers. Today is a nice day so a lot of people are out. Since the trail is narrow it’s best to run without headphones so you can hear bikers signaling to pass on days like this.
I hear a dog on a leash growl at a squirrel.
I hear a man tell his colleague he appreciates how a certain politician carries himself on television.
I hear birds overhead singing in clusters. The branches of the trees on both sides stretch over the trail in places, forming a tunnel when they bloom.
I hear an older lady tell her colleague how frustrated she is that the clerk would only return her the sales price on the cardigan she took back.
I hear a woodpecker slam his head into a tree, as fast as a machine.
I hear a woman tell her colleague how that was the boy she voted for three times on American Idol, she tried five times and got through three, that boy sang so well and she loved his shirt.
And I run.
