9/11/2015
Throwing back my silver,
hopeful for a more bountiful catch.
Diamonds, gold, and rubies glimmer in the summer sun.
Firmly seated in an ocean of shadow-tinted coal.
I cast my lure into the murky unknown—
not knowing what I will catch.
Priceless jewels or worthless junk could be nibbling on my bate.
The suspense eats at me like a thousand menacing minnows—
slowly picking away until I am left naked, hopeless.
When all feels lost, my line takes,
pulling faster, deeper into the cloudy depths.
Still unsure whether it's fortune or failure,
my everything hinges on this catch.
I strain, I reel, until my hands rub raw.
My unforgiving foe refuses to yield.
Yearning for a moment of relief—I wince
in bloody anguish— but refuse to submit.
Hours turn to days, days to weeks
as the epic battle forges on.
Forever hopeful my foe will bring fortune:
eternally dreading that instead he brings defeat.
With my final ounce of blistering resolve,
the tension begins to release,
and my foe shows his true form.
Breaking through the shadowy surface, the long awaited reveal.
Claiming my prize—my comrade's lifeless gaze catches my own—
unifying us in our undying bond.
Surmounted by a harrowing conclusion to this life-long struggle:
I am left alone with my quiet nemesis—remorseful reprieve.