You\u2019ll see \u2018em in the news, pass \u2018em sittin\u2019 on their patios,\nsome got their heads in the clouds,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creaky vessels, long-retired, once were warriors once were\nproud,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gawked at like old relics propped up in the Museum of\nNatural History,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With varying degrees of admiration but from others scorn or\npity,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Talking \u2018bout former gladiators made a living through their physicality,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fighting, tackling, climbing, lifting, stacking muscle for serious\npreening,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not for the faint-hearted, it takes a special type of\ninsanity,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Success not guaranteed and broken dreams are many, the\nsummit\u2019s reserved for the bold and gutsy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there\u2019s hell to pay for putting the body through the\nringer, in twilight years the the fallout become apparent,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tools of the trade \u2013 strength, power and dexterity \u2013\nbecome a distant memory, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like ageing structures the joints once firm and dependable\nrendered rusted and creaky,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The consequences run deep, it\u2019s a horror show down below,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The unlucky ones barely recognizable, often left forgotten\nand broke,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check out some examples, the once garrulous icon rendered\nmute and shuffling,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of his peers, other former battlers, trapped in a haze from which they are defenseless,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The former master of the iron now immobile, hard to believe\nthey once called him king,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former living marble statues damaged, years of shooting up\nfucked up major vital organs,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prime years seemed endless, their aura unconquerable,\ninvincible, almost mythological,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But time remains undefeated, even B-Hop succumbed to it, save\nyour breath \u2018cuz Ponce ain\u2019t found no fountain, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But hold onto those tears, keep the violins in their cases,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They had a dream and damn it they achieved it, peaks and\nvalleys encountered but still they emerged triumphant,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That much must be celebrated, their hustle and fortitude\nrespected,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Post-retirement struggles vary across warhorses but united\nover satisfaction and contentment,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Might make minor adjustments if they can re-run it, but for\nthe most part wouldn\u2019t change any bit of it,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dangers lurked in their chosen adventures, certainly\ncompared to other vocations,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They knew it from jump and accepted \u2018em, fuck the naysayers\ncalling \u2018em reckless,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your judgment is unwarranted, don\u2019t talk down on what you\ndon\u2019t know,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sacrifices were more than worth it, can\u2019t stay drowning\nin sorrows,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The past is gone, legacies set in stone, save your gasps for\nhorror films,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like \u2018em, loathe \u2018em, admire \u2018em or revile \u2018em, in the end\nthey did the damn thing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You\u2019ll see \u2018em in the news, pass \u2018em sittin\u2019 on their patios, some got their heads in the clouds, Creaky vessels, long-retired, once were warriors once were proud, Gawked at like old relics propped up in the Museum of Natural History, With varying degrees of admiration but from others scorn or pity, Talking \u2018bout former … <\/p>\n