Sunday 3 October 2004

girl athlete

Tonight I ran.
In the dark.
As an athlete.

No one really saw me, just the odd person I happened to pass along the street corner.
Those rational people walking their dogs at night.
Not like me…they don't walk their dogs to prove to themselves a point.

Tonight I ran.
I ran to prove a point.

In his eyes I was just another athlete, just one of the lads.
Not a girl to contend with.
Not a girl to admire.
No, that was my beautiful friend.

She was the breath-taking one in jeans and a jumper.
I was the scroungy athlete in a warmups and trainers.

So tonight I ran.
To prove to myself in the midst of a pain that really shouldn't be,
in the midst of an insecurity and inferiority that I shouldn't have,
that I am an athlete.

A female athlete.
I run like a girl.

Try to keep up.

I can push myself to sweat
pain
and even tears.

I can be ready to collapse from a work-out session,
and then dig deep
and pull out another mile.

It's there.
I am that athlete,
but I'm also a woman.

And tonight,
in the dark,
in the rain,
where no-one was watching,

I proved it.

1 comment:

Sushrut said...

Thats real dignity!