the unobtained glories of the four minute mile

dear mr. santee,
tell me,
what does half a second feel like?
like the breeze,
or less?
like the snap of the ground
giving way
under your feet
does it have that bitter taste,
that comes from being
not quite good enough?
wes,
(if i can call you that)
i think you're doing just fine,
as find as dead can be.