My heart skips a beat.

It does so every time I am preparing for a big event.  Like the 2020 Poetry Marathon.

I have a perfect understanding of how my heart behaves. It skips a beat. It is its way of telling me it is ready for the big event, that it is in perfect harmony with my body, that it cannot fail me, that it will not fail me, that it is with me all the way, every step.

It is true all the time.

That was why I completed the 24-hour marathon. I did not stop because my heart did not stop. I went all the way because my heart usually calms whenever the heat is on and the stake is high. I know it. It knows me. We are partners. Can two partners work together unless they are in perfect harmony?

No.

That is why my heart skips again.

My heart is aware that another big event is here. The 2021 Poetry Marathon. It understands what it must do to get me ready, to get me to the edge, to push me to the precipice and not leave my hands. It understands its job description completely and I have learnt how to get out of its way, focus on the job at hand and let it handle its own beat.

That way, the two partners will accomplish much more than is expected. It works.

Every time.

I know it.

So, with this sound understanding, my heart is calm now. It will help me to stay calm and rest and sleep soundly. Preparation for such a big event as this is a big event for my heart. It needs to rest. Once it is well rested, it can overcome any challenge, surmount any hurdle, climb any mountain and hit the summit.

Rest is paramount in my preparation. Once I am rested, I can think. Once I can think, my heart is saved in its cocoon. It has been like that with the two of us. That is, my heart and I.

I recall my first day in the newsroom as a cub reporter. The first assignment was an accident. A lorry and a car collided. My assignment was simple. Report what has happened. My heart skipped a beat. But without skipping a beat, I got the job done. I did not report the accident as news. I reported the news behind the accident. I won the affection of my editor. I have earned my by-line. I made some friends. And some enemies, too, you know what I mean?

That was the beginning of my love affair with the news business and features writing and other forms of writing.

Then, my heart rejoiced.

My heart is rejoicing.

My heart is excited. That is when it skips a beat. Skipping a beat is its way of telling me, “Bro, I will not leave you nor forsake you”. That statement is reassuring.

So, when my eyes are closed and I have rested enough, we will continue from where we started.

That is where my heart beat again.