At this moment

It is late fall, so there are no leaves on the trees.  There is a dusting of snow, and I can see that there were a couple of mountain bikes on the trails earlier.  But there is no one in the woods now.  I know that, because I can see deep, deep into the woods, through the empty trees.

I run, hard.  It is very cold.  My face is numb.  There’s a brisk wind, and it cuts through my clothes.  So I pick up my pace again.  I begin to flush with warmth.

I do not have that strained watchfulness that I must maintain when I run in the spring and the summer, eyes scanning the dense brush, constantly, for any human form.  Any man.  Danger.

I just run.

At this moment, I am free.