There Are No Legends

As time moves on

Societies devolve.

 

And all that society contains

Devolves with it.

 

Human performance

Is viewed in a relativistic sense.

 

A person

Is viewed

In comparison

To another person.

 

Truth

Is not relativistic.

 

It is not judged

Upon a sliding scale.

 

Truth

Is not a calculation

Or a bell curve.

 

Taking the matter

Of professional athletics

As one example . . .

 

Talent has not decreased.

Talent never does.

 

There are numerous talented athletes

In every sport

Around the world.

 

Yet despite the plethora

Of talent,

Who among them

Is a Legend.

 

The word Legend

Cannot be used loosely.

 

For once again,

Humans will use it

In a relativistic sense.

 

One athlete

Is compared

To another.

 

To compare one athlete

To another

Is to compare two imperfections.

 

To compare one athlete

To another

Is to compare two limitations.

 

The human has been conditioned

To look at two blemishes

And award the one

That is slightly less blemished.

 

One may play this game

If he wishes.

In fact,

It is the Only game

Being played.

 

But the one who has the DNA

To become a Legend,

Is not so interested

In comparing himself to another . . .

 

He is interested

In comparing himself

To an Ultimate Possibility.

 

An Ultimate Possibility

Manufactured not

By humans . . .

But by Nature.

 

Today’s professional athletes

Are paid more

Than ever before.

 

Given the amount of revenue

Generated by professional sports,

The athletes should indeed be paid

And paid handsomely.

 

Today’s athletes

Have much talent.

 

And talent

Has never been in short supply.

 

But today’s athletes

Are hardly Legends.

 

In fact,

It can be easily argued

That the athletes of yesteryear

Were greater candidates

For Legend-hood.

 

Greatness

Is rare on the low stage.

 

But it is also rare

On the grand stage.

 

The media makes constant mention

Of the greatness

Of the modern professional athlete.

 

They use as their evidence,

The degree to which the athlete is superior

To the average man.

 

If one must resort

To using the average man as a comparison

In order to uplift the professional athlete,

This is scraping the bottom of the barrel.

 

Who is a Legend

In modern professional athletics.

 

If one remained true

To the sacredness of ‘Legend,’

He would be hard pressed

To find any.

 

Modern professional athletes

Are fine and good.

 

Greatness

Is another matter entirely.

 

Relativism

Has no place

In an exploration of Truth.

 

Inching-out another

Demonstrates only

That one is an Inch better

Than another.

 

Beathing another by a nose

Demonstrates only

That one’s nose

Is a bit longer than that of another.

 

Inches

And noses

May make a winner.

 

But they do not

Make a Legend.

 

Namaste.