Out here on the borderline
I take my place
among the warriors in the second wave
with the aging gunslingers
and forgotten philosophers
just a man,
no knight wearing armor, but a soldier of sorts
better than some, worse than others.
I stand my ground and wait.
I watch the borderline.
looking for one last chance
to step across the void and slap the Devil
whomever he may be.
I believe redemption lies
between the wanting and the dying
even for those
who have fallen short time and time again.
Avalon belongs to Arthur
Valhalla to Thor and Odin,
Heaven to a handful of faithful followers,
Paradise to Jesse Stone and maybe Milton
but for me,
the mountaintop is its own reward
so I keep picking up my sword,
buckling on my spurs
and hoping that my shoulders, knees,
back and brain hold out
until the final score is tallied
one last time.
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