April 2, 2008

morning at the gym

morning at the gym
04/02/2008 - National Poetry Month post #2

the biggest guy I ever smelled
just dropped his dumbells to the floor
he grunted, gnashed, and moaned and yelled
and did a thousand reps or more
his raw brute strength unparalleled
more mighty than the ox or boar
and every fibrous muscle swelled
as sweat beads popped from every pore

across the room two ladies strained,
one stepping stairs, the other rowing,
by both was I quite entertained
by what their spandex tights were showing
the perfect glutes one had obtained
her sleek, lithe body fairly glowing
the other--all her weight retained--
out in a field she could be lowing

oh, it's not nice for me to mock her,
only trying to get slim
I brave the crowd to find my locker,
past hairy-butted cherubim
with small equipment--I'm no gawker--
I wish they'd keep the lights more dim
and sure, today ain't any shocker
just one more morning at the gym

One of my writing goals for 2008 is to write at least one light verse or poem every week in addition to my haiku wednesday and fiction friday posts. I will try to do this on Mondays.

7 comments:

Paul said...

thanks for the laughs pjd - reminded me of the several times I joined a "club" to try to remove the spare tire and get back the buffness of my youth, only to realize after a few visits that I hate those places, and would much rather be outside, even in the rain and cold. Kind of like the folks who take the elevator up to the 10th floor gym to use the stairmaster! Anyway, the images you conjur of people (women and men) in spandex skins revealing to all the world their attributes - or many times their attributts - are priceless. I keep scribbling; you keep writing. best - Paul

p.s. tried to pot comment on your airport luggage piece - hilarious - but I might be too challenged to have successfully posted it

Chris Eldin said...

Awesome!
I'm the one lowing, so thanks for not making fun.
:-)

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed this. great opening line and one with which I can empathise.

JaneyV said...

"The biggest guy I ever smelled"

What a great beginning! This made me LOL. I used to work in a gym - in the restaurant. All these hairy sweaty folk killing themselves to lose weight then came in to me and bought fries!

As for the ladies in spandex... Mooooo...Nuff said!

Precie said...

Crap. Must change my workout time. And that darn saleswoman PROMISED me the industrial-strength spandex would work. Grr. ;)

Anonymous said...

A fun look at life in the gym.

PJD said...

paul--never got the comment on the airport luggage post. Wish I had! And amen on rather being outside. Mostly I play soccer for exercise, but I have also found the gym a good excuse to get away from my computer.

chris, I did not have your avatar in mind while writing this. Though maybe I should have.

watermaid, thanks for the note! I really enjoyed your 3WW wordplay. In fact, I'll stop by again to see what else you're doing for napowrimo.

jane--I also worked in a gym, but in the locker room. I never understood exactly why we had a restaurant with racks of candy bars.

precie, I don't think it was you I saw... though I didn't get a good look at their eyes.

christine, thanks. The smelly guy was kind of like a 1970 Ford Galaxy 500. :-)