Sometimes during
a game of inches,
you will have a crisis of confidence.
You will feel as though
you’ve given everything
before you’ve finished,
and lament
the end of your journey
before the climax.
What else is left?
I dig deeper,
in a panic,
and realize there’s nothing.
The doubter’s voices crowd my head,
and they all sound familiar.
No fuel, not even a hint
of fumes to run on,
but I run on
when I was sure I was spent.
The naysayers
continue their tirade,
but I pay them no mind.
The march continues
and the runner’s high kicks in.
I’m going to do the greatest
act of defiance
that I know —
I’m going to make it
to the end.
The File Pile 