The Fight

The Fight


The time has come
The fight is now
Shoulders straightened
Salute with a bow.
Take a deep breathe
Let it out slow
Steel your body
Your mind let go.

Block and counter
The battle has begun
Roll with the hits
You have not yet won.
To the left guard
Attack to the right
Jump, dodge, weave
Don't give up, fight.

Now feel the rhythm
Watch the pattern form
Body and mind centered
Flow with the storm.
You must have courage
And determination too
Don't give up now
You're not yet through.

Impatience catches you
As foe circles to stall
A sidekick catches you
To the floor you fall.
A popping sound is heard
As body strikes the floor
You knee is on fire
Can you stand to take more?

To the ring the medic runs
Knee examined with care
A single minute remains
Fight on do you dare?
The verdict is damage
With severity unknown
Though the pain is bad
Luckily no broken bone.

Teeth gritted with pain
Slowly rise to your feet
The fight may be lost
But you will not be beat.
Time is started again
Slowly by the second tick
No longer as agile
Leg like one long stick.

As you watch warily on
Your foe steadily advances
You must block quickly
And move between stances.
Though your foe scores
Once and then twice
Work to keep your foe
From scoring thrice.

The time is now up
The fight draws to an end
Salute your foe
Now once again a friend.
Calmly you both wait
It is painful to stand
While the judges confer
Your friend lends a hand.

The decision is reached
Your friend wins the fight
Other fights will come
Concentrate on that sight.
Recover, strengthen, rest
The time has come to heal
Work harder and strive
Soon victory you will feel.

The Fight is based on a martial arts tournament match that occurred during spring 2002.
Stubbornness did not pay off in this case.
I had to have surgery (one year later) to repair the original damage and what my stubbornness had caused.