Morning Run

Before the cell phone rings

or the text message sends, or the in-basket refills, or the pager beeps

I lace my shoes and run along the lake road.

Before the sun rises

or the coffee brews or the traffic honks or the kids wake up

I plod along the glacier carved shoreline.

Sprinklers whirr around the old summer cottages that were

built into four season season cottages,

built into primary residences,

then scraped to the dirt and built again.

The commerce of the day accelerates slowly.

It rises, like sun across the water

It swells and surrounds me like the new days heat

Street lights click off, house lights flick on.

Engines rev, driving headlights through the graying dawn.

Night animals scurry home

as dogs emerge with their owners.

Each footfall down this road becomes a bit harder to hear

in the growing noise of my town waking up.

Each intentionally, strung together moment a little harder to appreciate

as the busyness of day begins to blend them together.

I feel the pull of all duties,

husband, dad, doctor, citizen

that will begin again once my shoes jog

the last half mile of shoreline.

But for now the shadows of geese on the beach

keep on grouching at me.

The crickets and peep-toads cheer me on.