All of Sharon's Titles A Fine, Fine School Absolute Normal Chaos Bloomability The Castle Corona Chasing Redbird Fishing in the Air Granny Torrelli     Makes Soup Heartbeat Love that Dog Pleasing the Ghost Replay Ruby Holler Walk Two Moons The Wanderer Who's That Baby BUY THE BOOKS
back to book page	Select a Title Absolute Normal Chaos Bloomability The Castle Corona Chasing Redbird Granny Torrelli     Makes Soup Heartbeat Love that Dog Pleasing the Ghost Replay Ruby Holler Walk Two Moons The Wanderer HEARTBEAT By Sharon Creech FOOTFALLS Thump-thump, thump-thump bare feet hitting the grass as I run run run in the air and like the air weaving through the trees skimming over the ground touching down thump-thump, thump-thump here and there there and here in the soft damp grass thump-thump, thump-thump knowing I could fly fly fly but letting my feet thump-thump, thump-thump touch the earth at least for now … MAX Sometimes when I am running a boy appears like my sideways shadow from the trees he emerges running falling into thump-thump steps beside me. Hey, Annie, he says and I say, Hey, Max and we run fast and smooth and easy and we do not talk until we reach the park and the red bench where we rest. Max is a strange boy thirteen a year older than I am deeply serious determined. He's in training he says in training to escape. BEFORE I WAS BORN My mother says I was running running running inside her before I was even born. She could feel my legs whirling thump-thump, thump-thump and she says that when I was born I came out with my legs racing as if I would take off right then, right there and dash straight out of her life. She says it made her laugh and it scared her, too, because she'd only just met me and didn't want me to race away quite so soon. She says I've been running running running ever since-or nearly ever since- I ran before I crawled I ran from dawn to dusk And sometimes at night she would see my legs still restless as if I were running in my sleep through my dreams. I tell her not to worry that I will always come home because that is where I get my start.