Sunday at the Gym

I am at the treadmill on the gym
And to my right there
Is a middle-aged man juggling
Four red balls. He is in a tee shirt, shorts and sneakers
I wonder if he considers this
Exercise or maybe he decided
The gym's a place to exercise his mind as well as body.
They say that crossword puzzles keep your mind
Fit and I can see how
Juggling would help with hand-eye coordination.

On the TV is a bowling tournament.
A man who looks like he’s destined to win throws his ball down
The polished lane effortlessly, with a glove on the hand that throws.
He bowls a strike, turns around, pounding the air with his fist, and takes a seat
in front of a chubby blonde who was probably once considered
Good looking by champion bowlers.
The man who’s destined to win is wearing Terminator-style sunglasses
He never removes, and a small, but healthy mustache (conceit
Curls up at the sides) when his name is spoken his satisfaction
Does not fade for a long time.

I am now on a machine that foils flabby stomachs and there is
An ancient lady rowing in front of me. She is only about as high as
Carnival signs that say, “Must be this tall to ride.”
Her hair is white as winter frost that snakes across windy roads at night.
She wears a sweatband around her head and a very large tee shirt
That accentuates her smallness. The ancient lady does five movements
With the machine and moves on. She does not wipe off the seat.
At some spots she sits down, only to back get up and walk away.
I note that most senior citizens love coming to the gym to socialize.
It is where they go after seven o’clock breakfast at McDonald’s.