Corners
by Odin Roark

He thought he knew corners
After all
Stumbled into
Been backed into
More than his share

This was different

He lay in bed
Fingering his glasses
Should he wear them?
Leave them?
Did it matter?

His eyes dropped from the ceiling
To the backlit corner of flapping window blind
Green and red neon rolled its pattern outside
Nudging sticky air under the shade
Carrying the boredom of a lone pigeon
From the 10th floor ledge
Cooing like a bell sinking under water

He’d never had to consider this challenger before
A mere corner of his hotel room
Where only window and curtain
Separated him from the final count

He recalled the loud bells of the past
The ones saving him many times
But tonight…
Tonight he was up against a real contender
A massive force never faced before
And there was nowhere to run

This time

The bell would remain silent

He put on his glasses
Stood and moved up to his last round

He knew the mammoth shadow of his past
The one his fists could never hit
Would force him into the ropes someday
It was inevitable
Such a blow had been a long time coming
Some people called it
The forever-darkness-without-light

He stepped onto the ledge and was ready

Until…
Until that beat up warrior had to stand there
On its one leg
Stare at him with its only good eye
And coo again

Again
Like the bell underwater

He hesitated
Adjusted his glasses
Smiled

“Tough love, eh?”

And was gone