At The Gym
An unlikely store front
With action behind its glass
The motion of resolution
Proceeds with assembly line efficiency
With no product of their labor in sight
People pushing, pulling—repetitiously
To the beat of cast iron clapping
Hands hanging bodies from arms
Racing to elevate their masses again
Some struggle through weighty endeavors
While those at a nearby spot
Reluctantly lend their hands to help
Another approaches the bench
Pressing the limits of muscle—but not of steel
Thunder pounds from feet of sweat-soaked runners
Running in place of where they’d rather be
Aligned with their goals
Their machines in a line
Bounce as the rubber beats the belt
Buckled from wear and tear
And all of this within walls of mirrors
The reflections of before pictures
Of bodies yet unrealized
Awaiting fulfillment
People change
They leave