The Choke - a True Story

Sitting alone in the locker room
My eyes still filled with tears
As I choked in the championship
In my high school senior year

Winning the wrestling match
By a score of 8 to 2
Already thinking of the first place plaque
And with it what I would do

Only 15 seconds left to go
I’m already wearing the victory smile
The next thing that I am to know
I’m on my back counting ceiling tiles

Five victories in the book
And this match I am poised to win
Only 10 seconds left to go
If I can avoid having gotten pinned

With 2 seconds on the clock
The referee slaps the wrestling mat
Indicating that my opponent has
Held me for the count of 3 laying on my back

A life lesson was learned that day
You must stay focused until the very end
Or you’re apt to blow the championship
Like I did that day, my friend
Copyright © | Year Posted 2012


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Date: 7/24/2012 7:11:00 AM
Dear Joe, Must have felt like the end of the world that day. But thank goodness the lesson was learned there in the scheme of things. love, Kathy
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Date: 7/20/2012 3:02:00 AM
Hey Joe, that was some lesson, wasn't it? I can just imagine your victory smile turning into a frown of misery. Call it a lesson well learnt! Nice poem!
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Date: 7/19/2012 3:07:00 AM
Losing seems often to be a more valuable lesson than winning Joe, methinks! Well, at least something good came from it....great poem! k
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