The twists and turns

Every sideways shuffle

Squeaking of my sneakers

As I trip and stumble

I throw up my hands

Catching nothing but air

Shaky legs

Aching and quaking

Feels like something should be there

Nothing

Still nothing

One more foot forward

I can feel my knee cracking

Ligaments stretched to tearing

One more inch

I can do one more inch

Sweat beads and burns

Pain wracked and heaving

The weight is too much

Cracked cartilage on the concrete

Pebbles dig into palms

Nails split upon the hit

Groping for leverage

Nothing

Still nothing

One centimeter at a time

Pavement like sandpaper

Abrasive and agonizing

One millimeter at a time

But still it’s forward

A run.

A walk.

A step.

A crawl.