Raising the Bar
Salt water drips down draining the fluid
From storage supplies.
Drizzling down the face,
Stinging the determined eyes and
From the forehead on to the mat;
Drip. Drop. Drip.
Muscles tensing with power,
As the body is squatted.
Hands grip tightly on either side.
The bar causing friction,
Tearing the smooth skin.
Face pulling into the center,
Eyes closed, grunts escaping.
Moving swiftly the bar rises.
She clings to people and says, Look
Look what I accomplished today.
Looking at her, saying are you okay?
Scowling at their reaction;
She hears the trumpets sound,
She’s hearing the gates open
And the light shining through.
She’s proud of her hands.
She rubs them together
And the pads are like the desert, bone dry.
Her Knuckles a deep red from the strength
And the friction of raising the bar to new heights.
Ripples in the once smooth surface
That from the fight of achievement,
She’s claimed what is rightfully hers:
Trophies.
The imperfect untouched skin on her hands
Is now flawless with blemishes.
From hard work and pursuement
Of the dream: of being stronger.
She laughs at them their fear and says
With Head high, chin up and hands spread wide,
These are my hands
These brought me here
These are my trophies
Not wounded but stronger
These lead me here
And they are flawless
Strong, muscular, imperfect, blemished
Beat up, and stronger than ever before.
They built me to who I am
They show the world that I am not here
By some chance or some luck
But through blood, sweat, tears,
And sheer determination I have arrived
My hands, My body constant reminders
Of my goals and what it took,
To achieve them
My wounds—trophies
My hands, My Body
Flawless.