My new poems podcast, Words by Winter, can be found here.
Last week I woke up on a cold and windy day and did my own tiny triathlon: jog, kayak, bike. I did this only for myself, for the hell of it, no time pressure, no expectations, no one watching. The jog went well. The kayaking was hard (the wind was so strong it was all I could do to keep from going backward). By the time I got to the bike portion I decided to keep it simple and just ride around the same lake four times like a hamster on a wheel, which was ridiculous and made me laugh. But when I finished my tiny anonymous tri I felt so unexpectedly happy. So grateful for these muscles and bones and heart and lungs. How great and wonderful it is to be alive inside a body.
Question, by May Swenson
Body my house
my horse my hound
what will I do
when you are fallen
Where will I sleep
How will I ride
What will I hunt
Where can I go
without my mount
all eager and quick
How will I know
in thicket ahead
is danger or treasure
when Body my good
bright dog is dead
How will it be
to lie in the sky
without roof or door
and wind for an eye
With cloud for shift
how will I hide?
For more information on May Swenson, please click here.
alisonmcghee.com
Words by Winter: my new podcast
Alison McGhee 
I feel the same way: so, so grateful for a healthy body, a good, strong pair of lungs. The joy of running on my favorite trail.
My gratitude sings especially loudly now, as I’m emerging from 2 years of a flare up of chronic fatigue syndrome, which happens about every 10 years and totally sucks.
The sweetness of good health is an impossible wonder.
So glad you can celebrate strong arms, strong legs, your sense of humor and your lungs.
Hallelujah.
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April, wow – I didn’t know you sometimes have to deal with CFS. Is there anything in particular that you do to help recover from an episode? (Asking for a friend who suffers nonstop from it.) So glad you’re back running again. XO
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Well, I’ve learned to go to my medical doctor first thing and rule out anything as an underlying issue.
Then I leave Western medicine behind.
I usually go to my acupuncturist first because she is magnificent. I do my best to meditate every day.
And I my chiropractor it’s not only extraordinarily handsome, but he’s an amazing healer. You can’t beat that!
For me it’s more about the personality and healing qualities (the kind of aura) of the practitioner than about the practice itself, although acupuncture has always been my go-to.
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Thank you! Acupuncture is always my go-to as well. (And how lucky for you that your chiropractor is extraordinarily handsome.) XO
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