I’ve long thought of my runs in the woods as a form of meditation. I almost always run by myself on trails where I may only cross paths with a few other people along the way. It is peaceful, very therapeutic, and at times inspirational. I was recently inspired to capture this feeling in verse. I hope other runners and anyone who likes getting out in nature can identify with the thoughts I tried to capture in this poem.

My Moving Meditation

Workdays cause
My scales to tip
Minor worries slowly grow
But my busy mind wanders
To dusty trails
Where footsteps long to go.

Running clears
my crowded head
Easy miles slowly fade away
Muscles tire,
but mind restored
From stresses of every day

With each leafy step
Fleeting thoughts float by
Popped bubbles
By a tired mind
Worries of the day
Left far behind

Listening to my trusty heart
Counting the quickening beat
Concentration becomes a chore
And my thoughtless bliss
Returns once more

Challenged to keep feet firmly engaged
While soaking in the beauty passed
The eyes drawn to views serene
Somehow tenuous balance
Survives the uneven task

Decisions are no heavy weight
On paths when forks appear
Left or right,
Not wrong nor right
Serendipity is not to fear

Mossy fallen trees
Across quiet forest streams
Ease my running pace,
There’s no race to be won
Just minor obstacles to face
All a part of
My moving meditation.