"making sideways glances past the skyway riding shame"

"making sideways glances past the skyway riding shame"
for anyone who has tried, and failed to be selfless
~L. Page

making sideways glances past the skyway riding shame
his weakened heart's surrender, with no eye to keep the same
miracle of once upon a time
even if it requires a denial
of the path to get there
once a frown and masked despair
with its discarded memory of yesteryear

push past the chains and shackles of the nightmare now forgot
so he can press in fiercely for a heav'n bound straight-aimed shot
no miracle of once upon a time
can't teach his soul of self-denial
so he can't quite get there
even on the skyway smile where
his tomorrows are already worn thread bare

(c) 2009, Leah Randelle

(the above poem was not inspired by this, but arguably, this could be a way of portraying the main character in the recently released movie, "The Wrestler.")