by George Hancock
July 2026
Wednesday begins July’s run
Complete with summer sun
Locally, humidity is up a notch
Leading to a sweaty swatch.
This road runner is up early
And out before temps get burly
Still, there are many warm runs
With results that often stun.
July 4th arrives on a Saturday
So many also see an off Friday
Now this retired runner is off|
Every day so skip that cough.
July is a family birthday time
Seven birthdays in this rhyme
Our grandson twins turn two
Running about minus a shoe.
Now, near July’s final days
Daylight shrinks on the roadways
Cloudy days means more dark
Covers my early running lark.
Cloudy days darken my road
Returning me to my light mode
Although warm, my run grows dark
With streetlights no longer in park.
Wide Mirrors
This runner notes a change
That covers my road range
Wider mirrors are a new thing
That could offer a bruising sting.
Wide vehicles with mirrors wide
Create issues and hurt our pride
Getting hit by a mirror does hurt
Leading to language often curt.
My area has many pickup trucks
And wide SUVs making ducks
A factor on nearly every run
Especially when there’s no sun.
I did hit a mirror on an early run
The truck was parked, not fun
A car approached, I moved over
My shoulder hit, OUCH rover!
I’ve witnessed trucks passing by
With wide mirrors and I sigh
Each moves over on the road
Knowing a hit is a costly mode.
Run vigilant is what I always say
No matter what time of the day
You’re out running and a mirror hit
Could create a new bruising slit.
Humidity
July cranks up humidity local
And citizens get rather vocal
Summer heat is seasonally nice
But avoid humidity is my advice.
I sweat during July’s warm run
Dripping water even after done
Humidly is a July factor we know
Enjoying it seldom makes us glow.
At night, July sleeping is a chore
Unless AC runs behind your door
Floor fans do ease the humid pain
Yet, humidity offers very little gain.
Running early eases the issue some
But it’s often similar to chewing gum
You begin fresh then it grows stale
Steady humidity diet makes one pale.
Our running clothes are really good
High-tech fibers better than wood
Although sticky out we run in ease
Hoping for a gentle cooler breeze.
July creates numerous sweaty days
So, we trot slower on the byways
Running on in summer’s season
Since humidity’s here for a reason.
Categories: Poet's Corner
Runner's Gazette 
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