The Ghost in the Ring
June 18, 2008
The referee is the ghost
in the ring, tied by
invisible thread
to two men. Each
wearing the others blood
on his skin, the way
fierce lovers might.
There’s not a mark
on his starched shirt.
He’s one half of a dance.
Sweat and spit fly.
To be this close
to the knife edge,
to follow the footsteps
of fighting men
and not to hurt,
to have the battle
in your grasp. Tasting
another’s victory
as if it were your own.
Copyright Naomi Woddis 2008
