The Corner

Twelve rounds of excitement
Two rivals smiling in the middle of enchantment

The bell rang…
Both fighters were wild
Two rough hands still mild
The bell rang again — end of first round.

Second round…
Gaiting horses, eluding kicks and punches
Baiting bodies, protruding hunches

Third round…
Fighters in merry-go-round
Hide and seek on square ground

Fourth round…
Faces smearing, eyes rolling
Bodies perspiring, allies chanting

Fifth round…
Feet hovering, foot work disintegrated
Temperature rising, hard punches connected

Sixth round…
Audience clapping; boxers hitting
Attacks jabbing, gloves slugging

Seventh round…
Whacking arm follows, gloves batting
Ulnar bone gallows, heads swatting

Eighth round…
The champ fighter grinning, nailing one hard scour
Second fighter fainting, flailing above the litted floor

Ninth round…
Stronger fighter grinning again with right hook
Left hook thrashing, down the second fighter of blind look

Tenth round…
Challenger flogging, kept on rising
Challenger pelting, the champ fell on floor gasping

Eleventh round…
Both warriors pummeling, whipping, jostling
Switching, clubbing, lashing, drubbing
Both fighters fell on adulated white floor
Before the ninth count both warriors stood tall
on wrestled floor

Twelfth round…
Last two minutes of peppering round
Both fighters staggering until the challenger dropped first and gaunts.
Champ still standing, waiting for the ten counts…

Last twenty five seconds of the final round,
First fallen fighter with a bigger heart stands
Champ dropped on his knees —
Laid flat on aproned, famed canvass
Ten counts numbered as confetti lands…

The winner and challenger standing in the corner, beaten and bruised
Bleeding profusely after winning a dream never cruised.