Marathon Poem by Bill Upton

The great endurance of life.
Weathering storms,
Chasing dreams,
Turning back tides.
Hearts and souls cleansed from within
Through faith, communication, and exercise.
Freed from the accumulated stress of life.
Starting up again, fresh...new.
The personality replenishment of a warm, sunny day.
Hopes we chase over rainbows.
Elusive, yet within our stretch.
The heartbreak and the healing,
The character building within the emancipation.
The fury and the rage.
The daily challenge to replenish
The will, the desire, the strength
For the seemingly insurmountable mountain climbs,
For the marathon struggles that numb and break any will power to go on.
This great endurance of life.
This magnificent daily rebounding of spirit.