Down on the floor
two wrestlers meet
in a great circle
on a mat
with a referee.

In this arena
each acknowledges the other
with eyes fixed, handshakes
then get down in
a stance to attack.

On the whistle
the referee's hand drops
the grapplers circle
in and out they reach
for an advantage.

At the crowd's cheers
one of the two must commit
one must react
both seek leverage
and advantage.

On the time clock
the seconds drop away
time in the ring is short
victory or defeat is measured out
in just a few minutes.

For a moment
my gaze is pulled away
from the exhausted athletes
to the fanatic
cheering crowd.

It is then that I see
everyone as wrestlers
in the ring of their life's own arena
grappling against
their own foe.

Down on the floor
sweating under the weight of a rival
seeking leverage and advantage
each one struggles.

In life's arena
matches come one after another
the clock always running
the whistle never stopping.

Life is a continuous struggle
either with one's own personal demons or God
leaving the human grappler
spent and panting
in the end.

Down on the floor
the buzzer goes off
the referee raises the victor's hand
and the defeated
stares at the floor.