I cried at the end of the bike ride
As the virtual instructor yelled at me to push
“Rise up!” He said
“Let your heart lift out of your chest!
And rise up, let your heart carry you!”
I pushed
Pedaling hard
All of the months and years
Rattling in my head
As it battled my heart
Her cancer
My brain tumor
His father
My family
Those sweet pups
The people who harm us
Their disregard
The friends who love us
Their commitment to our cause
I screamed loud
Grunted, breathing hard
I sobbed as I pushed and pushed
My body breaking through
My heart rising up
I was me again
For a moment
I was me
Strong
Resilient
Powerful
Me
Just for a moment I was no vessel for grief
Just a body and a spirit
Finding my release
BodyParts 