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Poetry, Grades 7 – 9: First Place

Home of the Fencers — Solomon Polansky

The strips.
Rough unforgiving pieces of metal
line up in neat rows.
Readying for battle.

The warriors.
Masked faces clad in white
size up their opponents.
Probing for weakness.

The odor.
Pungent smells of effort
permeate every molecule of air.
Hanging heavy over the arena.

The sound.
Harsh clashes of blades
echo loudly in the open space.
Ringing sharp as bells.

The bout.
Intense battle of wills
search for advantage.
Seeking sly touches.


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