I’m frayed and fatigued
After miles of ambled pavement
Tap tap tapping one thousand trails
Marking silent footprints along the path
My expeditious exercise
Leaves me frayed and fatigued

I pretend I’m young
Ready to run
Marathons and trail races
To highest mountain peaks
And rocky ocean shores
But I’m frayed and fatigued

Walking daily is good
For body and soul
It keeps the heart beating
The mind clearly thinking
But I’m frayed and fatigued
With nowhere to go

Author’s note: Although the shoes in the photograph are not suitable for the running and hiking activities in this poem, they were the inspiration for what I wrote. They are still the shoes I wear to mow the lawn and work in the garden.

Read more of my poems here and here. I even wrote an article about this topic: Beware of Burnout.