Forty-nine and a half days.

Twenty pages a day—

give or take longer stretches

of concentrated time.

While daunting in it’s infancy,

like running a marathon,

the question here is why?

Wallace described it as a healthier alternative.

King describes it as something to do while uninspired.

I’ll combine the two and for now conclude

it has something to do with maturity and choice.

Now consider the marathon,

where focus is key.

Regulated breathing—essential.

Where urgency is relative.

Because in a marathon,

like most voluntary acts—

where signing up is reason alone for celebration—

no one but yourself cares when you finish.

Now how bout that for a strange commitment?

How bout that for a selfish investment?

Cut off from the world at large

in a room of isolation—

their pain’s not mine to heal.

With forty-nine and half days left.

Forty-nine and half days that,

we’ll live and make excuses for

the luxuries we choose.