Student Publishing Program ::

Isaac Fuhrman

Man Of Confidence

He walks with an air high above the sky.
Cool and collective as he goes,
Commands attention of all passersby.
Envy of men and women. They know.
Unmatched by man or beast
The gladiator walks with an air of confidence.
Hero, icon, mascot; at the very least
He is the man who carries the name -
The name of fear, of awe.
For to him, it is not a game.
He knows not what it feels like to lose
The gladiator – impenetrable as a wooden shield.

Confidence.
This gladiator alone has it all.
As he readies himself for battle, atop
The high mountain,
He takes everything in -
The crowd, the wind, the ominous clouds
No emotions
No fears
He steps out
Expecting the obvious
He feels large, potent
Even as the vastness of the crowd
Swallows him up.
The arrogant gladiator
Cannot see past his great name,
A name;
Merely a combination of letters.
Nothing more.

His opposition -
More than capable of taking away
What has been his for so long.
As the two duel,
A speck of fire from his opponent’s torch
Comes to rest on the gladiator’s feeble wooden shield.
Reducing his greatness to ashes.
The gladiator has been beaten.
He will never fight again,
Never again awaken
To the chants of his great name
That lives no more.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2009 EDITION]