You enter the ring,

And you can see,

This is the fight of your life,

Facing Muhammad Ali.

But the scales are tipped,

You hear cloth rip,

Wrapped around your eyes,

To your unpleasant surprise.

‘What do I do?’… you yell out,

But no one answers your meager shout,

You hear the bell ring…here we go,

The crowd amplifies… enjoy the show.

You have a choice…stand there in fear,

Or try to shift, into another gear,

Throw your punches…and try to hear,

When Ali’s feet come fluttering near.

He has speed and reach…’What do I possess?’

An iron jaw…and courage in excess,

I’ll take the punches…I’ll wear the fight,

I’ll fall down, but get up with all my might.

Blow after blow, my body begins to crumble,

But something inside starts to rumble,

‘The blindfold is slipping…I thought it might!’

This is about to become a different fight.

The opponent is worn down… he’s feeling tired,

And while your body is broken…your passion is fired,

You see clearly now, despite the beating,

That the whole journey, was the great meaning.

And Ali disappears out of sight,

Because you have won the biggest fight,

The enemy fought you… on its field,

Little did it know…you would never yield.

And isn’t this fight what life is about?

Being blindfolded before your greatest bout,

But with courage and willingness to take the hits,

The dream you will achieve…and obtain true grit.

Evan Sanders

The Better Man Project