Today I exercised–not “a new form of exercise” as Irene asks us to try. Instead, I went bike riding, which is my go-to form of exercise for the last three months. Here is a Blitz poem.

Ride a bike
Ride the wind
Wind pushes
Wind rushes
Rushes me along
Rushes to challenge
Challenge of lungs
Challenge of muscles
Muscles growing
Muscles showing
Showing up now
Showing hope
Hope in strength
Hope to ride far
Far up the mountain
Far through the washes
Washes full of sand
Washes over my body
Body of strength
Body of courage
Courage to go fast
Courage to improve
Improve the gearing
Improve the handling
Handling the hills
Handling the rocks
Rocks hidden on the road
Rocks loose and unstable
Unstable but achievable
Unstable but I am
Am a wanderer
Am a mountain biker
Biker of freedom
Biker of exercise
Exercise of stamina
Exercise of heart
Heart of the scene
Heart of nature
Nature of color
Nature of wonder
Wonder of flora
Wonder of fauna
Fauna of beauty
Fauna of creation
Creation to savor
Creation to enjoy
Enjoy this life
Enjoy this living
Living
Life

On another note, this November we can all exercise our right to vote.

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During each day in the months of August and September, I am responding to a different word from Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. Today’s word is Exercise. A small group of people wanting to make the world a better place are reading and responding together. Join us! Visit Common Threads: Patchwork Prose and Verse by Kim Haynes Johnson for more information. Here is the word list I’ll be following for August and September.