The nation breathes

The arena is lit

A long wait for the gladiators,

many battles fought and won.

they had better be won bcos a loss means the end

end of the road, end of what they toiled for-

and a long wait for another 4 years;

but these two bands of men have made it this far

the ultimate in their field awaits-

They know what it took to get then there...

the physical test being nothing compared to the mental one,

Months of conjecture, and strategy

Years of criticism and allegations

Why even now when they have won a battle they are questioned about its authenticity

yet they toil

do they do it for themselves or the the pride of the nation?

do they still care about the people who question

or did they just prove a point to the unbelieving

and what do they know who sit on the outside?

do they watch the daily fights against all odds,

the struggle to live as a coherent unit

the strength to believe what they must to win

and go on with a dogged determination

till they reach the peak

and then the nation breathes!