The Fight, a Case for Words

The prize fighter takes a pummeling in the ring.

Round three and nine more to go.

He won’t say “Uncle” or throw in the towel,

but he’s thinking this here opponent I’m facing

is beating the living crap out of me. I’d better

bob and weave.

Saved by the bell this time.

Swab the cut opened above the swollen eye;

“Give ‘em hell with your right,” his trainer cries.

Round four and more of the same.

Arms and legs become a lead-weighted drain.

A flurry of jabs to the face, a left/right combination

to the gut and a lightning-bolt uppercut to the jaw.

And our hero goes down for the count...Six! Seven!

Eight! Nine! Ten!

Staggering to his feet and wobbly at best to stand,

the ref grabs him by the gloves, pushes him back, and

flailing arms, calls for an end. TKO the judges rule

unanimously.

Whatever possessed me to describe such a thing as

this pugilistic combat in the ring? Personally, I am

repulsed by a blood and guts beating such as this.

Admittedly, I have had (and mostly lost) physical

scuffles in my time, but I’ve never been paid to

fight in my life.

Simply put, this morning I sat down to write, and the

words “pummeling” and “pugilistic” came to mind.

Don’t ask my why.

That’s just the way it works sometimes.

Chris Hanch 9-27-18