In the moment

Muscles flex and relax
Sneakers crunching and crushing the leaves beneath
The sun shines brilliantly through the trees forming a warm canopy of light, but I am too occupied to notice
Breathing short sharp bouts of air
A musky smell hangs in the forest, rejuvenating my soul with fresh oxygen, but I am too focused to appreciate
My legs move as if in a rhythmic trance
My eyes span over breathtaking sights, but all I can see is my destination
I am already in the future, no time machine required
I can smell victory, touch my goal, taste the joy
My destination has arrived, everything a flurry of motions. The event I built my life around fleeting in fast seconds, and soon the glory is over.
In its wake I missed the journey.
My pace reduces; I am slumping through life,
My footsteps, like heavy thuds on the soft earth.
The sky is ablaze with stars, royal blue clouds, holding back the moonlight like thin curtains,
But I am too distracted to notice
I breathe heavily; it seems to require a lot of effort
Though the air is fresher than ever before, with the sweet smell of the earth after the evening downpour
I am too lost to appreciate.
I walk with small measured steps, my eyes once again spanning all the enchanting miracles of view, but all I can see is an illusion of the past.
I reach out for my dream, but it is a mirage.
And in its wake I missed the present.