in between sets

there’s an old man at the gym 
who reminds me of my dad
and now my heart rate is up,
just feeling somewhat. 

my dad, 
he isn’t even close to that man’s age
but enough time has passed
to where I recognize my Appa
in the elderly 

what a strange place to realize
how drastically things have changed
i lift the weight on my shoulders
alone -
and his bones,
they probably ache in the morning

i wonder -
does this man look at me when i pass
and think of his own daughter? 
i wish i could tell him that, somewhere,
she’s thinking of him as she moves throughout life

i just keep lifting the weight
and now my face is wet.  
salt tastes the same, 
in both tears and sweat
and i just can’t help but 
look at him and wipe off
all this water in between sets