the offseason

counting down 15
seconds at a time
again and again

litres of sweat
millions of rotations
hours of focus

dark mornings
cold toes
fans blowing

resisting the easy out
pushing through the pain
legs obeying the brain
but it’s the heart
behind it all

it’s low on the list
but high on the time
it matters
but it’s inconsequential

it can’t be about the end
it must be about the gift
of each stroke

Written by Scott Moore
Illustrated by Landon Wideman

Inspired November 2018