Tiffany Fry, Grade 12, St. Mary’s

i.

the end of the road has

come, hero.

it is the gravel

under your feet,

the shame in your heart,

the blood on your face.

you

have

failed.

look up here,

look at me.

this is the face

of your better,

your conqueror.

look at me, hero

wipe the sweat from

your eyes.

here is your sword.

take it,

go home,

tell your family

that you have seen defeat,

tell them

you are too small.

trudge away,

bear your blisters

and your calluses,

but crumble

under the

defeat.

you have failed.

ii.

i have failed.

i have seen defeat

under the shadow of the

Monster, the man

who is better,

stronger

than me,

the man who can

defy myth

and stand on the

shoulders of the

righteous.

i have failed,

my sword slipped

from my sweaty palm,

my armour is too

dented, my courage

crumbled

beneath anxiety.

i

have

failed,

i am dead,

my body is

ravaged;

i am annihilated.

but in my failure,

i am exalted.

iii.

everyone wants to

fail

before they

succeed,

before they rise

higher than any

bird, any

dragon

and become the stuff of legend.

but to be a

satirical hero

is my dream.

i will fall under the boot

of my enemy,

be trampled by

his horse.

i will see my blood drain.

i will taste steel,

the flat of the blade

i will endure

torture, and humiliation,

you will note

my suffering

and i will face

unprecedented failure

for the benefit of

everyone

but myself;

in

this,

i

will

succeed

mightily.