Entering the arena.
There is no return
to being the former man
who didn’t enter.
Stepping across the threshold
is enough,
but it is only a whisper
of what is to come.
Coming face to face
with reality,
that hard,
unyielding structure,
is a type of violence
we are not built for,
but strangely,
it is part of us.
Why else would we heal
so quickly?
Why else would our minds
block out the pain?
Why else would our memories
of shame and destruction
be so easily,
albeit temporarily,
suppressed just long enough
to cross the line again.
The coliseum erupts.
The tigers,
and lions,
and other warriors,
that must be faced
on this hallowed ground,
are unleashed
in grand, visceral melee.
The heart pounds,
muscles strain,
and the mind screams.
A war cry
roars from the throat.
Only survival
is victory,
and the only victory
is to survive.
Glory,
however fleeting
shines brighter
than any Sun.
Tens of thousands watch,
but only one
dares.
Adulation and euphoria
are fleeting,
but we know
it is the way
to truly change our course.
Once struck,
the path is unalterable.
There is no return
to being the man
who didn’t enter the arena.
Only the man who did
remains.
HG – 2022
