Darker than the midnight sky

Thousands of wears, frayed ends

Worn by some of the strongest people I know

 

My childhood gone in the blink of an eye

Hours upon hours

Buckets worth of sweat

 

From children's classes

To the Tuesday Blackbelt class

Things will never be the same

 

Perfecting each technique

Countless injuries

Becoming stronger everyday

 

Tournament team every Sunday

Endless medals and trophies

My proudest possessions

 

From broken toes to concussions

Never once have I stopped

Pushing through knowing it was worth it

 

Five hour tests

Two thousand word essays

All for a thick piece of cotton

 

Wanting to quit, numerous times

Almost bringing my journey to an end

Only the view of my belt keeping me going

 

Assisting with the Tiny Tigers

Teaching the Juniors

Now head instructor of tournament team

 

Countless lessons learned

Family like no other

The Dojo was my life

 

Infinite amount of friendships

Some relationships like no other

What was so special about a piece of cotton?

 

From white to brown to black

All the colors of the rainbow, fill my basement floor

Filled with memories and hard work

 

Everything comes to an end eventually

You lose interest and what you thought was everlasting love

But once you are a blackbelt, you will always be a blackbelt