Decision Day
Credit: Franco Monsalvo - Pexels.com
by John J. McDonough, Jr.
A former heavyweight lies on a barren bed,
Tattered navy blue trunks encompassing
A white girth, eyes fixed on a dangling
Pair of gloves, streaked by a leathered red.
He's almost persuaded it's all in the head:
The papers say he's on the ropes, the ring
A legend long ago; the titled king
Faces dread--his life may hang by a thread.
Yet the will to fight has never gone away;
Like an eager boy who dons a first glove,
The power to choose remains. Now commanding
Up, the will has no room for may;
Fighting the good fight requires a move,
A yes, a jolt, an act--he is standing.
May 1, 2025