Tug Of War
When games get out of hand

You take an end of the rope, And give it a good pull, Defiantly showing your power.
I meet your defiance, As I grab the other end, My eyes holding yours in the challenge.
Tension pulls the rope, And our wills, As we carefully place our feet.
You begin with a tug, As you always do, Starting this war of wills.
I hold on tight, Your challenge met, Ready to endure the battle.
No words are spoken, At least not out loud, Inside we quote each other’s script.
As the tension increases, We start to feel pain, Our hands raw, but numb.
Once we fenced politely, Elegant and regal and protected, Obeying all the rules.
It was fun then, A demonstration of agility and finesse, Now is a game that tears skin and heart.
Why do the skirmishes continue, When bruises and scars are the results, Along with ragged flesh and feelings.
It’s a useless game, With one falling in exhaustion, The other walking away with no satisfaction of a win.
Love beautiful and strong, Now weak and crushed, How did this become our reality?
We must stop this tug of war, And while we both agree, We find ourselves roped in.
Kim McKinney loves a good story, and a good game, and is fascinated when games get out of hand and the competition becomes our reality.
