That lingering thought to compete
Knowing what it takes to rise up
Get in the gym go through the motions
Days and nights giving your all
Being sore after training slower recovery
Balancing the sport and work to survive
All that hard work going towards a goal
Always going hard no towards something
Preparing for this event physically
Mentally focused learn apply the technique

Cracking jokes being fun again
Took the job serious and gained nothing
Taking back self respect moved on
Looking else where pushed away
No reason to stay not one to snitch
Not going to hide quick to square up
Stand my ground fought back
Tired of not being heard after speaking
Did the work why the lazy complain
Sad to see everything decline
Trying to get ahead or come out even

Hard to remember tried to block it out
All you wanted was to forget
That person made you feel good
Then in the snap of a finger
Made you feel useless
Unworthy of their time
Did you ***** now playing the victim
The lies spoken the actions don't match
Giving your all and it's declining
It felt worth with time lost value
Felt meaningless after a while
Turned your back now it's over done
Let it fade on its own corrupt demise

Writing to understand these thoughts
Make sense of all that's going on
The feelings can be overwhelming
Expressing those bottled emotions
Being heard by your community
Knowing what your are trying to say
Annoyed when others twist your words
Trying to be genuine most of all myself
Not being what others say
Sick of assumptions false narratives
Staying centered true to self
Internal growth cleansing the spirit
Not what others made out to be
Approval from people who don't approve
Their opinion doesn't matter have value
Like your feelings mean nothing to them

Holding the pads trying to remember
The sequences working with a southpaw
You have to think one way
Doing everything backward
Trying to think fast without explaining
Keep the drills going not wasting time
Focused on technique learn to slow down
Drill with form pause to take a beat
Reset then start over again
The pop from the gloves hitting the pad
Side steps to keep from being flat footed

Missing the person that use to be free
Not a care in the world just getting by
Before heartbreak life seem promising
Chasing moments living experiences
New encounters an empowering reward
Breaking away from the boring routine
Cutting off toxic tired of condescension
Called deceivers out demanding the truth
Turned away onto new away with the old

In a room find full of liars
The betrayals very uncomfortable
Quick to get away not okay
It's not right not pretending anymore
Being genuine to criticized by decievers
Did the work credit is being stolen
Only nice when a favor is needed
Most of the time being ignored