Monday, April 15, 2013

An Athletic Tragedy


4/15/13
11:20 am
Brooklyn NY


An Athletic Tragedy

And off he went.
He took off as if a caliber had detonated
To commence a race.
Bang.
He tucked the pigskin against his side,
And he ran the field like a spooked deer.
His sight was set from a vision not too far,
While the rest of his senses were impeded.
It was clear to him
That he need not hear or feel anything.
For he understood that all that mattered
Was getting there.
He was a robust machine of a man,
His huge physique launched instantly
Lifting himself off the ground.
His feet latched onto the mud,
Propelling him effortlessly.
One could hear his step from miles.

He was swift.
He shifted side to side,
While he pushed off defenders from all sides.
He jumped through some of them,
As if they were hurdles,
Leaving a track of dirt,
Like an earthmover went through it.
He was undisputedly the best competitor
Anyone had ever seen.
A highly regarded player
From a prestigious institute.
He won dozens of awards and accolades
From various competitions during his youth.

Then as if the sun went dark at noon,
A guileful rival attacked from behind.
It was purely performed ordinarily,
And yet his speed decelerated immediately.
No exceptional or foul play was expended,
Yet it was adequate enough
To halt his imposing power.
Then as if it was done in slow motion,
Down he went, eating dust.
He succumbed to the field.
He slithered through grit and grass
While he quickly diminished in earth haze.

The crowd was motionless, just as he was.
His formidable strength enfeebled.
And as he stared at the sky,
His passion moved stealthily out of his body.
He started feeling every inch of pain
Like he never had before.
A broken leg and fragmented rib,
Slowly depleted his soul,
Consuming his humanity.

Men rushed towards him,
Even opponents came to aid the fallen competitor.
They carried him out of the field.
As the crowd roared in optimism.

Weeks went on and his health improved.
He was then able to walk,
Yet his supreme ability was no longer there.
And as months continued, it became clear
That he would not make a return.

Years had passed & he succumbed
Deeper into sadness,
He surrendered his all to addiction & abuse.
Attempting wrongfully to ease the pain.
Eventually, he lost all of his possessions.
And ultimately, he lost
The most prized possession of them all,
His family.
One by one, they left him.
And on one fateful night,
Perversity and irresponsibility ruled over.
He took his own life,
Tragically without anyone in sight.
   
“People come, people go,” one journalist said.
“All good things come to an end,” added another.
Everyone should hear this,
For it rings true to each one of us. 
All experiences will eventually be over,
Whether they’re good or bad.
His athletic prowess may now be
A distant memory,
But let it serve as a reminder that,
While he lived through it,
All of us should do the same.
But we MUST continue the fight,
To wherever it may lead.
Combatting adversity and trials
That have been brought forth our way. 
For it isn’t important where one comes from.
All that counts is where one is headed.

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