Bus Stop Contender
by Odin Roark

“When memory is one’s best friend,
Consider whether it’s an opponent
Or the threat of defeat
That drives one away from the battle.

“To hang up one’s gloves,
To stop training for another day,
Is to succumb to melancholy,
To obsess on yesterday
And become a mere armchair contender.

“How awakening the acceptance
That one’s next encounter
May be an eye-opener
Or an eye-closer
But undeniably an experience
Paid for and owned.

“Would that the past could remain friend
Maybe even the teacher
Ushering in an openness
To confront tomorrow without regret
Or a clinging to the past.”

They rose from the bench,
The young man pocketing the napkin
Where the older man’s scribbled words
Would remain framed above his bed
Well into the future,
Reminding him that anyone
Could become homeless,
But still remain alive,
Still a willing challenger,
Like this bus stop contender
Still eyeing life’s next bout.