He shifts his feet and alters his balance,
His heart beats heavy in his chest.
He twists his grip around the sword’s cotton wrap,
Swallowing the build up of saliva.

He leans slightly forwards,
His breathing deep and heavy.
He lets his eyes drift out of focus-
Gazing at distant mountains.

His breath draws sharp,
His blade draws high,
His mind breaks clear,
As sun through clouded sky.

His mind is at peace,
His breath is stopped,
His body not his own,
The moment is all of this.

The flash of steel,
The split infinity,
The moment of balance,
Between life and death.

His vision sharpens,
His breath returns,
His mind thinks thoughts,
His muscles now under his control.

That moment has passed.
For the other, it will never come again.
Already, he seeks, desperately to experience it once more.
The duel, a moment of perfect clarity.