Weights

I saw several young people 

carrying weights around

 the block. It didn't seem 

like strength training. 

Did their guide want

 them to experience 

what a twenty five pound 

burden felt like? Some burdens

 may be shared. Many aren't ours 

to carry. The boy hefting the painful

 fifty pounder to his other

 shoulder looked like a friend would

 have to help him make it back. 

Maybe the teacher wanted

 them to know what twenty five 

pounds of extra fat -- around 
your tummy, thighs, and hips -- 

felt like. How breathing 

and moving is made 

difficult and more difficult

 as weight is added 

by default in small,

 easy increments, but 

takes slow purpose 

and dedication to lose.