I am the man who walks up es­ca­la­tors!
Or if given the op­tion of stairs
bounds up them with even less care,
Sim­ply to com­pete
with those who stand at ease
upon their as­cend­ing ma­chine.
No! I do not care if I win!
Do you take me to be that vain?
It is the very pump of my mus­cles
that dri­ves my legs!
The joy of use
that marks my move!
What do I stand to lose?
When I give up my youth
and stand upon their lethar­gic char­iot
Spent, tired, and tragic.
I see no fu­ture, I feel no doubt
No opaque over­whelm­ing cloud.
I hear only laugh­ter in the call
of swift and pound­ing foot­fall.