That whole Spring as I trained
For the Triathlon there was trouble
In Iraq. In Iran, too, it seemed there
Were problems. As I ran, I thought
Of Iraq. And while I biked, I swam.
Of the three, swimming was my
Best. Slow afoot I ran like a man
At large, and biking was OK
Still, there were problems in Iran.
I saw with a large moustache
A man lead a nuclear caravan past
My train of thought and thought
“This is where I get off” and as
I ran, I racked my brain about
How best to exclaim the situation
“You can’t exert immediate
Results, or do it all yourself”
Said a sample explosive voice
Inside my head. But running is
Good for you, as are biking and
Swimming. Three exertions tied
Into one, and so I ran for fun
As the race approached Iraq
Made its move and I began to
Run even faster without clothes
My bike on its rack spun rakishly
As it ran off track into the pool
And as I underwater biked I saw
The hooded thousand faces of
A thousand violent fans
After the race, I ran back home
Away into the woods I ran so
Far that day, got lost, and into
A luminous pool hall stumbled
Slipping into sweats, I felt changed
Iran and its people took a break
Amidst all the clarity
It seemed as though I’d won
I racked the billiard balls and
Broke. Meanwhile, back in Iran
Iraq was coming in to its own