Undefeated

Stood in the middle of life love and loss,

No longer bulletproof, no longer young.

Surfing the ripples of pride and remorse,

The glory's fading, and the kids are all gone.

Hard to believe the memories are yours,

And wondering if you still belong.

Tired of pretending that the arrows don't hurt,

And there aren't days when I just want to go home.

How reassuring - it could have gone worse,

Could have been a contender, should have known.

The last one standing of the ones who came first

Where the hell did all the rest of them go?

Grateful that you got this far and

Proud that you behaved no worse,

Giving up on hope for a better past,

Passing through the bitterness.

The future is no darker

Just because you won't be there

Autumn in the wilderness

Can be the prettiest time of year.

Remember that you got this far.

When it feels like the work was for nothing,

And you're wrecked and in retreat,

Survival adds up to something:

Independent, undefeated.