For some
the solitude of this long stretching path
bereft of human contact
brings peace.
I see them here,
from time to time,
riding their bike leisurely
as they let the warm rays
bath their sweating bodies. 

Others
choose to walk and embrace the simplicity
of nature. 

The straight lines of the path
keeps their bodies on course
allowing their minds to roam freely
unbridled by cumbersome activities
such as care and worry,
as they are content to simply exist
as they travel this crushed gravel pathway.
 

 
There aren’t any intersections,
U-turns, or detours
to avoid the inevitable end. 

And each stroke from my peddle
is a labored battle
exploding in my body. 

Though the sun shines
and birds sing
and flowers bloom

it is not for me. 

They are but a reminder, a shadow
of a life that once existed
but whose spirit dwindles like a star
slowly fading as day approaches. 

I remember reading that life
is a progression of peaks and valleys. 
One cannot dwell forever in the valleys
and once you rise up the mountain
 and stand at the peak
only then will you appreciate

the true beauty and majesty.