THE FIGHTER

 

He was a world champion

Mean as could be,

Didn’t fly like a butterfly

Or sting like a bee.

Ferocious as a lion

With venom in his hands .

Attacking opponents ,

An instinct to kill .

A gladiator ,

A warrior , a king ,

When he entered the ring .

Win at all costs ,

Never yield ,

The only way out

Is on your shield .

 

Brought up in Brownsville ,

New York ,

New York state .

Survived slum housing

So desolate .

A victim ,

Cast on the whims

Of capricious fate .

Fell in with hoods ,

Robbers and thieves ,

Which , hardened

And focussed him

On only his needs .

However , he had

His love for his birds .

Pigeons .

That he kept on a roof ,

To feed and release them ,

To watch them fly ,

Soaring and swooping,

Like his spirit

High in the sky .

 

Nothing else mattered ,

Only image and crime ,

Which , would eventually

Lead him into serving time

In  juvenile halls .

Places of detention .

Horrors committed

Too bad to mention ,

Toughened and embittered him ,

Having to fight

Inmates and the system

To maintain

His , status quo .

 

Enter Cus D’amato

And Camille

Who took him in .

Gave him a better life .

Something

To hang on to .

A purpose , a focus ,

A training to fight .

A distinction of wrong

From right .

A champion in the making ,

What a sight .

But , it didn’t

Stop him taking

His trips to Brownsville

New York

To hang with his friends

And get up to no good .

 

Cus honed him

And trained him

Into a fighting machine

Who took on all comers

No matter how mean .

He fought

And he fought hard .

Unified the belts .

“ Undisputed Champion “

Could fill any hall .

But , then came the fall .

Cus died .

His mentor was gone

And that ,

Was when he began

To come undone .

 

For such a young man

The world at his feet ,

Nothing but nothing

Was out of his reach .

Pandered to and pampered ,

Indulged in every way .

Not seeing the hangers on ,

Bleeding and leeching him

Of his money and fame .

Letting him descend

Into a life of depravity

And shame .

No help or guidance

To show him the way .

Eventually ,

People he trusted

And the system

Made him pay .

 

After he lost

To Douglas ,

He was never the same

And he was

The main culprit ,

The one to blame .

He served time in jail .

But , it didn’t help

His attitude or mindset

Not to fall off the rail .

Little money ,

Most of it gone ,

Like it or not

He was forced

To carry on .

Back in the ring ,

A tragedy , a travesty ,

Just a means to an end .

What he really needed

Was a friend .

Someone to love him ,

Someone to care ,

Someone , who

Would always be there .

Taking the knocks ,

Taking the blows ,

Ensuring

He got back

Up on his toes .

 

He found his wife

Or , did she find him .

His saviour and soul mate ,

His companion ,

His alone ,

A rock , a creator ,

A maker of home ,

For him and his children

To relax and just be .

Because of her strength ,

Her stoicism and will

His life had a focus ,

A need to do well

For himself

And his family ,

Able to move on

Into the future

Whatever’s to come .

 

 

 

 

Michael J. Guerrieria

21st February 2014 .