Monday, July 16

No sir - classic poetic feet

Yesterday during my run, I had a Bob Marley song constantly looping through myhead. Actually, I had one line or two from a Bob Marley son looping through.
The song? Rat race.
The line: Rasta don't work for no C.I.A.

It's one of those things where a negative line has a positive, motivating effect. It reminded me of an old Classic Poetic Feet post on the Big Smith song, No Sir.

Here it is:
>Well, I put in my New Year's Day 10-mile run.

It was a beautiful day. The temperature must have been near 70. It was wonderful.

At one point I was running down Weller Street and after exchanging hellos a man wearing a Drury University hat said, "You're not going to run like that all year are you?"

In response I held my hands out from my body and shrugged. It's the sort of thing where I had absolutely no idea what the question was supposed to mean.

Thus the shrug, international sign for: I don't know. I don't know how to respond to that. What the hell sort of question is that?

I mean was he saying that there was something wrong with the way I was running.

Anyhow, I had a Big Smith song running through my head for most of the 2 hours I was out there running. I'd heard it once in concert but something about where I was standing in the back of the Outland Ballroom, all I really remember was the chorus: "No sir, no sir. Something something sir. No sir, no sir." And then you repeat that a couple of times.

Now, I'd only heard that song once and I had no idea what the lyrics are. And on its face, the words, "no sir, no sir, something something sir" aren't but so inspirational. I mean, it was an anthem in concert and everybody in the crowd - well not everybody, I'd have to count out the people who were smoking or doing their own thing, but lots of people - were chanting the chorus and stomping their feet.

But what was that song about. Why were the words "no sir" running through my head as I was running. How could I make this work?

That's where the right brain creativity that is unleashed during a run comes in.

The song going through my head became: "No sir, no sir! Don't turn back, sir."
Alternating with: "No sir, no sir! Don't stop now, sir!"

..Anyhow, the next time someone asks me if I'll be running "like that" all year, maybe I'll just answer "No sir, no sir. I'll be running faster and better later on in the year."

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