The Last Thoughts of a Fallen Champion

THE LAST THOUGHTS OF A FALLEN CHAMPION This one time I know I was caught below the belt No doubt I got it wrong and I'm far from my best My last chilling and coin now I've lost to the bet Without the rain tonight my blood will drench the sand bed No matter how loud I scream, the the wind is still and won't allow me be heard Crashed by the merciless jab of the dreaded fear The yellow rays of the dusk beam on me as I lay defeated panting for air The one time champion, the one time heir The one time warrior the one time undefeated The god of the dust who had crested his name with blood on the sand Once the honour of the arena Countless breaths have ceased at my feet I was dreaded than fear itself I roared to paralyse my opponents nerves I've inflicted excruciating pain to beasts of the arena I sniffed out lives at the command of the emperor I've earned mortal honour I've crushed fear and made a juice of it My frame is a sculpture carved with the sharpest spears My feet were thickened by heat of burning coals at practice My heart was forged with cruel silver swords Countless times they've dived into my shoulders and biceps I've put them to shame more than a score of times. I've defeated a glaring death All I paid was just few pints of blood to the gods I've graced the arena in pairs but left as the last man standing The audience screamed my name and I made their coin worth the pay I spilled fellow warrior's blood to earn honour and made the crowd cheer The emperor literally beg for me to spear and spare lives I've had more than anyone's coins, wine and women for my wins Death feared me and even cheered me in my days of reign I was a god of the arena Here and now I lay in the same sand With my face marched to be grilled by the heat of the hot sharp sands About to be be slain with a throat to be slitted The once dreaded is about to taste death Maybe death visited unannounced and ready to make a fun of me In a fight where my victory was as sure as the numbers of deaths I have on my sleeve My face is marched on the familiar gritty sand The new masked gladiator pressed my ear to the blood-soaked sand And I could hear the deafening scream of familiar dying pleas of many fallen gladiators Those were the warriors and gladiators I sent their souls to the worlds behind the city walls They call my name with no respect Some even challenging me to duel in the world beyond The champion is about to rest his honour and dip his breath I shall plead for my life to be saved and not be slain Though my hands and blood stained But that have brought to this arena grace and fame I will beat the sand with an open fist to plead for my life Though the sun about to blind me and my lips drip of thick blood My calf aches and my knees pierced The new champion is squeezing my jaws out of its socket And my eyes bulging out of the sockets I know death is inevitable I only plead for a chance to see another day No Shame in death I'm pressed down to earth I will plead with the Emperor of the arena I shall swallow my faded pride I remember my days of glory I remember when the arena was submerged by the shout of my name Please remember the days I crippled wild beasts Those were the days I made death powerless The walls of this arena stand tall and firm for me Even distant cities know my story These walls are painted in my blood and sweat But I made thick the sand with the lives I put to rest on it Remember my good deeds in this arena Now I know I'm a mere mortal on a sand combat Give me a place to live on this side of the brass doors Till the coins, wines and women are no more up for reward I plead that I live again if not in my old glory Let me still turn the mine and whirl the wheels This is my last wish and plea A last plea of a fallen champion. CONCEPTUAL FM