awaiting the lincoln half-marathon
yellow directional abe signs up for
weeks no parking ones since yesterday
I’ll put on my lincoln top hat genuine
vintage liberated from clayville when
our school sold that priceless village
down the river no inventory record so
nobody missed it it’s since seen lots of
mad hatter use (at 2/6) but today all abe
will there be more blade runners? kids?
wheelchairs? my neighbors will be at
corners cheering giving out drinks
we’re near the course’s end stragglers
will pant by till eleven might there be a
word-worthy incident? here they come!
front runners! two or three, sinewy legs
cold day wind sun oh the excitement of
living on n fifth street! stats will tell
later who’s winner who’s last who
came farthest australia maybe – gotta
go! I can match sox while I cheer –
see, you can make a poem purely from
anticipation – now pairs are coming
clusters here’s a statue of liberty a baby
in a three wheeler pushed by her folks
a man without legs wheelchaired his arms
gyrate such colorful running gear I want
stripy tights! my egg just overcooked it’s
hard oh well it’ll taste okay … slow ones now,
walkers, a man with babe on back rings a bitsy
bell they’re waiting for mommy to come along
she runs up daddy kid bell join for the final lap
I spot three lincoln toppers but wrong shapes
(irish) I’ll try to nab a sign in my yard shh
don’t tell on me uh-oh too late cops have grabbed
the abe signs but left “no parking”; show’s over!
1500 runners I hear and elsewhere on the route
some cars were pissed at two minutes delay in their
impatient day tough rocks I’m proud of our runners
This article appears in Apr 7-13, 2016.
