Tony Norwell
Miscellaneous
With All The World A-Watching
With All The World A-Watching
(For all the casualties of the Marathon)
With all the world a-watching – how can I give up now?
So many people round me – yet I’m all alone somehow.
For oh so long I’ve trained and run and kept myself in trim –
There’s oh so much at stake here – I can’t give in to whim.
The start is like the ones before and so, too, is the weather -
Before I know what I am doing – I’m going hell for leather.
I get straight into my rhythm – give it just a wee bit more –
Just so I can get my time that bit better than before.
But then this pain across my chest tries to slow me down –
It is as if a giant vice on me is tightening all around.
It’s made me weak and short of breath – it’s shooting down my arm –
I wish that it would go away – it means to do me harm.
Now I’m dizzy and my legs refuse to heed my brain –
And the vice is crushing all my chest –I’ve never known such pain.
My memories swirl back in time to all I’ve not yet done –
They spin around the ones I love and the things I’ve never won.
They hint at times when I awoke a-tingling in my arm –
And the pain I never spoke about I knew could do me harm.
Now my legs are failing – vague faces ask of me –
If I’m all right – but already I’m becoming light and free.
With all the world a-watching - how can I give up now?
So many people round me – yet I’m all alone somehow.
But something strange is happening – I’m lighter than before –
The fight now seems so lost that I’m not fighting anymore.
I feel that I am leaving this old body far behind –
It feels like I don’t need it now and never did at anytime.
The people standing round me look shocked and sorry now –
I wish that I could tell them that it’s all alright somehow.
But all that I can do now - is watch them stand and gaze –
As they live out their time now and treasure all their days.
With all the world a-watching I’ll give up slowly now –
For all the people round me – life will still go on somehow…

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