[ IP ] Write a short story or poem around one of these lesser known words for emotions we feel but did n't know existed .

This was Mark's time. At first he did n't think he'd be able to do it, getting up before the birds every day to get to work on time. He had no choice though, the city bus did n't come out that far. To get food on the table, he'd have to ride. 
 
 He was scared at first, when he totaled his car and could n't afford to replace it. His daughter's hospital bills were piling up and there was no way he could get financed for a car on top of all that, he'd asked. 
 
 He had that panic feeling, the feeling in nightmares when there is something you ca n't outrun. But luckily panic drives us to solutions, and that's where Mark's mind took him. 
 
 He was trying to hold it together in his garage after the crash, thinking of who he could call, how could he get to work, why was this happening? He dreaded Abigail coming in and finding him like this. That's when he saw it, his old bike behind a bunch of piled up junk. It was dusty, had cobwebs all over it, but the tires were still thick and just need a good pump. He could walk to the gas station tonight just two miles away and pay 25 cents to get them inflated. 
 
 His ride the next morning was the longest he had ever ridden, 30 miles from the front door to work. It nearly killed him, he was too exhausted to be of any use in the warehouse but regardless, he felt like a man finally for the first time in a long time. 
 
 Slowly over the weeks his body began recovering faster and faster, taking weekends to recover fully. After the first week he could barely walk but now he was gliding into work, not only riding faster but working faster, with more hustle and a confidence he never had before. This was Mark's time. 
 
 Mark had a lot of time for reflection in the mornings, a lot of time to get his head straight. He felt like a king on the street in the morning. The was the lone ranger, patrolling his town. The ruler of his city. He was the only one up this early and all he could hear was the tires rolling over the asphalt and calming sound of his own breath. He could almost feel the music that played on the road and the conversations that still lingered on the roadside from the previous day. It felt like what happened here had been written into the air and he was absorbing it now. It refreshed him and gave him life. He loved watching the world come alive. It was a profound feeling, to be awakened every morning quite literally and figuratively. To be birthed again in a tranquility that flushed out the former day's chaos. It helped him gain perspective on life and made him more grateful of what God had given him. 
 
 Today was, for some reason, more special than the others. Mark kissed his wife and daughter on their foreheads as they slept and grabbed a protein bar on his way out the door. He had a feeling like a warm blanket around his shoulders the whole way in, even towards the city where the traffic got heavier and the noise grew louder. He felt transcendent as he listened to the sounds of a siren coming up from behind and the clutter of voices all around. This was Mark's time. 
 
 
 

