☆°▪︎ BURNING FOR THE LEAD ▪︎°☆

Didn’t

.

w

e

.

live

.

a

.

life

.

full

.

o

f

.

cheer . . .

.

.

.

Didn’t

.

w

e

.

live

.

a

.

life

.

s

o

.

dear . . .

.

.

.

racing

ahead

when

nothing

.

w

a

s

.

clear . . .

.

.

.

pulling

away

.

f

r

o

m

.

a

past

.

s

t

i

l

l

.

drawing

near . . .

.

.

.

burning

.

f

o

r

.

the

.

lead . . .

.

.

.

burning

.

f

o

r

.

the

.

lead . . .

.

.

.

burning

.

f

o

r

.

the

.

lead . . .

.

.

.

b

u

t

still

arriving

.

a

t

.

the

rear . . .

.

.

.

s

o

we

speed,

.

a

n

d

.

steer,

.

a

n

d

.

veer . . .

.

.

.

We

speed,

.

a

n

d

.

steer,

.

a

n

d

.

veer . . .

.

.

.

We

speed,

.

a

n

d

.

steer,

.

a

n

d

.

veer . . .

.

.

.

again,

.

a

n

d

.

again,

.

a

n

d

.

again . . .

.

.

.

burning

.

f

o

r

.

the

.

lead . . .

.

.

.

burning

.

f

o

r

.

the

.

lead . . .

.

.

.

burning

.

f

o

r

.

the

.

lead . . .

.

.

.

outrunning

.

t

h

e

.

fears . . .

.

.

.

outrunning

.

t

h

e

.

tears . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

outrunning

.

t

h

e

.

mirrors . . .

.

.

.

Always

leaving

.

b

u

t

.

never

here . . .

.

.

.

Always

leaving

.

b

u

t

.

never

here . . .

.

.

.

Always

leaving

.

b

u

t

.

never

here . . .

.

.

.

outrunning

.

t

h

e

.

fears . . .

.

.

.

outrunning

.

t

h

e

.

tears . . .

.

.

.

outrunning

.

t

h

e

.

mirrors . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

outrunning

.

t

h

e

.

years . . .

.

.

.

We

outrun

.

t

h

e

.

years . . .

.

.

.

We

outrun

.

t

h

e

.

years . . .

.

.

.

We

outrun

.

t

h

e

.

years . . .

.

.

.

burning

.

f

o

r

.

the

.

lead . . .

.

.

.

burning

.

f

o

r

.

the

.

lead . . .

.

.

.

burning

.

f

o

r

.

the

.

lead . . .

.

.

.

b

u

t

still

arriving

.

a

t

.

the

rear . . .

.

.

.

 ~ we

arrive

.

a

t

.

the

rear . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

then . . .

      –

      –

      –

      .

      .

      .

(again)

      –

      –

      –

      .

      .

      .

    we

    end

      .

      u

      p

      .

  here.

Reflection: This was an energetic, personal struggle-themed poem that I wrote back in May of 2022 where the affected party eagerly strives to get ahead in a life that consumes – ending up in a place where his/her entire life experience has been the pursuit but not much more resulting in a lifelong journey filled with the blur of vacant spaces all along the way.  I was playing the song “London Thunder” by The Foals when the following lines came to mind: “Always leaving but never here.” (the actual lyrics were: “Always leaving, never you.”) – so I modified it slightly. The poem pretty much wrote itself from there. So, if you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it. It only took me an hour or so to write it which is unusually fast when I write poetry.