the word swimmer

Three rounds clean. Read the right hand. Shoulder didn't speak until the cooldown. I keep waiting to feel proud of that and instead I keep replaying the caption.

See you in September, swimmer.

Not boxer. Not Apex. Swimmer. He named the life I used to live and pinned it to a public square. That is the kind of move a man makes when he is already afraid. I am writing it down so I do not forget I know that.

I sent the screenshot to Danny with nothing under it. That was the truest thing I did tonight. I have been selling every session for weeks and tonight I just let the clip sit there. Maybe I wanted him to see Voss poking without me explaining it. Maybe I just couldn't find a sentence that wasn't a lie.

The projector lens is cracked and I am watching fight footage on a thirteen-inch screen at the kitchen table in the dark. It is the right size for tonight. A big screen would feel like I am pretending this is cinema. It is a man alone with his opponent and a bowl of rice he ate standing up.