The Alligator Wrestler Must've Been a Dropout.

Written on 11.10.08 at 11:53am

The way we were, wasn't like fishing.
It was far more vicious,
Life-threatening;
It carried the acts of alligator wrestling.

You were the alligator -- So snappy,
Crabby,
But still not-too-shabby.
Everso free in your radiant swamp.
You threw people out if they didn't fit in,
& Those who were weak -- You chewed them up worse than gum.

I was the wrestler -- Just curious about you,
What do you do?;
Maybe I'll find out if I get closer to you.
Open arms, determined & optimistic.
I was willing to risk my life for you, because of you.
Knowing about you was my life. Wrestling you, tossing,
Turning,
Not even learning,
Was what I got.

If I didn't know you, I didn't live life the way I wanted to.
I would have fought -- & Possibly lost an arm or leg -- For nothing. At all.

Thank you, for teaching me nothing.

Reviews

[Raef C. Boylan]

Hey Ellie. Cheers for the read.
I'm liking this piece a lot, great use of your crocodile analogy.
Excellent rhythm, helped along by some internal and subtle rhymes.
Got pretty much nothing constructive to offer on this, it's near-perfect. I love the first three lines, intriguing way to launch the reader in - I for one wanted to know more.
The fourth line of that stanza read a little awkwardly
- "It carried the acts of alligator wrestling".
I'm thinking it's maybe the length of the line, a few too many syllables. Or possibly the wording. Not sure.
Have you tried playing around with other ways to introduce the concept of crocodile-wrestling?
e.g. Reminiscent of... Parallel to...

Then again, maybe not. It's your poem, depends on what you think.
Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Legion]

We all learn something even if it is the fact that it is nothing. Nice take on a relationship. Love the way you put this together. Well done. Now, have you ever wrestled a grease pig? :)

[Wildecat]

If this doesn't teach you something about life, I don't know what will. An excellent write. A pleasure to read your poetry.