My Nemesis

My Nemesis waits – looming – imperious….
Frozen breath – fires – my spirit
Soars into pulsing thighs – triceps – shoulders
Propel my start – sliding – spurs my speed
Warm wax tucks in – head to chest – fists to ribs
I ride the tracks – trust the line – and fly
Over the icy gunnels – shepherding – a start
Across the bridge – a slurry of frozen water – ice
Covered rocks – steep banks – fallen gravity
I sail across with momentum – I mount – steepness
Straight into kicks – clumsy – rhythm starts
Rawness explodes – poles – pull and push
Up the pine-lined swell – expanding – lungs
I climb the groomed ladder – leaning – cutting
A frenzied ballet of feet – second position – lunge
Into herringbone – skeleton – crisp cuts
Ascending into trees – straight up – slipping
Through snowflakes – I mount – winter
Winded flurry of sweat – wishing – the top.

I pant, turn, and push – double poles – driven
Determined I swallow – kilometers – eaten
Thirsty for distance – turn after turn – splits
Marked, measured, motivated – faster – further
Trail culminates – I stop … and fuel – halfway.

Return is a battle – will – wanting
Counting down – each hill – each fork
I struggle for form – concentrate – flex
Strides and glides – tucking – sucking
Believing and striving – waiting – watching
For tracks to vanish – it appears – the first
Two hairpins folding – fighting – edges
Clawing coarse chips – I plow – and turn
Whip the corner and go – groin – screams
Scraping two more kilometers – shoulders – squeeze
Speed from snow – spent – Go!
Lungs burn frozen fire – filled – empty
Muscles swollen with acid – angry – aching
Demanding my body – don’t quit – Want!
Zenith returns – gasping – nexus
Between ascent – strength – hope
Dreading descent – its speed – I fear.

My Nemesis whispers – spreads – worry
Reminding the spills – cartwheels – plunges
Wipe-outs across its course – bruises – breaks
Ice buried into my heart – freezing – biting.
I breathe deep – deny it – its authority
Over me it owns – nothing … but the past
I let go the friction – feel the slope – the skis
And I fall into gravity – speed gathers – quickly
Knees in – heels out – sit back
Down I come – cutting the hill – holding
Through snowy colon – I emerge – whole
Two down – one – to go
I carry and power into – It! – my Nemesis
I carve my courage – into your meanness – Mine!

I scrape the wind – split the air – fearless
Fast in your mountain curve – falling – away
An S-turn against you – I turn – down
Into the throat – you swallow – me whole
Riding your gullet – I fly – fast
An icy lightning bolt – I charge – electric
Through the gate – over – past frozen bridge
Safe, secure and sound – my heart – heard
Up your back – my poles – my legs
Carry me to top – my Nemesis – conquered.