The Only Champion

While all sleep
  Sweet dreams
       Snuggling down
           Deep in REM souls

Here YOU sit
     Lit room
White noise
     Backgrounding
Stacks of papers awaiting
                         Your marks

Instead
You cry
Tears bubbling over
No damm
No gates
No catchalls
To stop them
For pain knows no boundaries
At times

It catapults from
Tiny snags in the fabric
              Of life
                              To gaping holes
In the crevices
             Of living

As it moves
It pulls every droplet
Filling with such passions
As alight the broken heart
Thought to be healed

It sends question marks
          to marr progress
And stumble you into
          A ball of
Scraped knees
          And a bruised spirit

And just when Pain
      Thinks it’s won....
Thinks it’s taken you to your knees...

You stand.
           Strong.
Powerful in your tears
Powerful in your pain
           Knowing...
                 Owning....

That this pain will
NEVER
         Win
NEVER
         Define you

For you know that the same cracks
In your heart
Are the ones
That let the golden light
Of life and love
Shine through

Blinding Pain
From victory

For there is
   And always will be
Only one
Champion
     In the end....

Not Pain
Not tears
Not broken spirit
   Cracked soul
       Or creviced heart

No.

The only champion
                Standing
                Amidst
Bloodied gravel
And shredded dreams
                                     Is
                                         You.