I want you to see these two
One is clever
and dark
The other is earnest
and bright

These two men struggle
against each other,
for the same goal

Dark and clever, Ish
Earnest and bright, Sen

Sen was always the strongest
They would drink together at the bar
and Sen would always fight strangers in the alley outside
Ish would light a cigarette and watch
pushing his mop of black hair
out of his eyes
and grinning

One night it was raining,
with violence in the air like static
electricity
Sen was drunk and the bar was empty
except for those two

Let's fight
Sen said to Ish
Okay

They went outside, in the rain, with lighting spreading through the concrete

Sen was stronger by far
But Ish was quick and graceful

Sen swung and missed
and again
and again
Ish waited
Eventually Sen slowed
Ish landed one on his jaw
He was so fast
Sen went down,
hard
But Sen didn't quit easy,
He got up and landed one on Ish's nose
It broke, blood flowed like a faucet
Ish took a knee,
and smiled,
Okay

Ish lit a cigarette and Sen helped him up
They walked to the hospital together
On the way Ish noticed that Sen was missing a tooth,

They walked together
each envious of the other
and the rain kept on