Uploaded July 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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42 Cherry Blossom
1
It was nineteen ninety-four I think,
And I was stationed in DC,
Hadn’t thought much about the Capital,
Only knew what I saw on TV.
2
I worked in Arlington,
There was a Metro Train to ride,
North to the Pentagon,
On the Virginia side.
3
But there were also trails and bike-paths,
On every page of the book,
With bikers and joggers,
Everywhere you looked.
4
So at lunch I got out my running shoes,
To start my running season,
To see what brought everyone out,
Meeting the hubbub of the region.
5
I ran North toward the Pentagon,
It was angular and big,
Then turning right I was on the Western reaches,
Of the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
6
Spanning the Potomac River,
To the east I saw them there,
A pink and white explosion,
Like a shock wave in the air.
7
It only happens a few days in spring,
When the cherry blossoms bloom,
But for those few golden days,
The other monuments must make room.