I see the stares
And I hear the whispers
I look at their faces
Sporting my blisters.

I hear the gasps,
And I see their faces,
And I see the confusion,
As they wonder if I am in pain.
As I lay flat on my back
With air wheezing from my lungs
A smile spreading across my face
And a laugh escaping from my flattened body.

I stand up, ready to fight
As I brace myself for another attack.
We glare at each other,
Sparks in our eyes,
And a grin on our lips
Wondering who will make the first move.

I step forward
And lay on the punches
Ready to receive them right back.
He grabs my arms,
Trying to stop my assault,
But we tumble to the ground
And both start to laugh.

People stare in awed horror
As I take a man to the ground,
And are in shock when I pin him with my knees.
They are gawk as we both stumble up laughing,
And their faces turn white as they see the bruises
That sprout along the length of my body.

I know I am aggressive,
I have never been a gentle girl
Always a warrior at heart
Ready to take down the biggest beasts,
And my bruises and cuts are my battle wounds
That I wear like trophies
Telling stories of my conquered foes
-ALC September 11, 2018