Rocky Balboa

Rocky


The driving force knocking blood to the opponents face,
There is no shame in seeing the dancing stars,
Fight, fight, fight until you find your place.

The courageous man fulfilling his love with grace,
Flying past people leaving dust beyond the cars,
The driving force knocking blood to the opponents face.

Adrenaline running through my veins at a constant pace
His blessed capabilities hinged behind flimsy bars,
Fight, fight, fight until you find your place.

Time becomes the enemy as the goal becomes a race
The character unable to be contained by the tiny jars
The driving force knocking blood to the opponents face.

Starting humble for it is the fearful base
Soaring above the planet like shattering glass to a distant Mars
Fight, fight, fight until you find your place.

And he, who holds the key to success, must knot his final lace
Ringing the victory bell above all of the pars,
The driving force knocking blood to the opponents face.
Fight, fight, fight until you find your place.

I chose to write a Villanelle on the fictional boxing legend Rocky Balboa. While many Villanelle's have a comical tone, my poem is written to show people that it is inexcusable to settle for anything less than your top goals. Although Rocky is just a fictional character, he is a hero to me. The poem is saying that once you fall or suffer a setback, you get back up. Everyone fails, but a man's true character is revealed when he perseveres through difficulties. Each stanza gives Rocky a new challenge, which he meets by "fighting until he finds his place". Rocky's "place" is being champion of the boxing world.