Ankles and legs always being bitten into
Jabbed by plastic teeth
It's broken my bones and clenched onto my heart
It's tightened my muscles when I've tried my hardest
Too hard
And my body can't keep up with the consequences

It's kicked my skull
to the ground
Bruised my ribs
Clawed at my skin
Claimed parts of my body again and again

It hates me for pushing through it all
My struggling body hates me for it, too
Even if one day it puts me in my place early,
my love for it would remain for all eternity.

It's the drive and adrenaline that keeps me moving
It's practice that's making me better at dodging those harmful intentions
Those magical slow motion moments
When you imagine it,
And it happens.
It's the satisfaction and pride I feel when protecting and staying strong for them

The smiles
The tears
All are worth it
I love it
I crave and desire it like none other

It shows me my limit
So I can overcome it
It puts me in hard situations
To watch what I can do
It treats me unfairly
To listen to my bittersweet acceptance
It throws itself at me
So I can prove to myself I can stand
It tests me at every encounter
Then leaves me to recover with the only feedback being from my own mind

"What's good for the body is good for the mind"
... It might drive me off the edge.

But my love for it would remain for all eternity.