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The Champion of Coney Island

 

Seagulls squawked louder than

a jet engine, as mustard dripped

from the fingers of a giant.

He wore a crown of relish,

pickles and dreams dancing.

 

In the corner, a man cried

tears of ketchup, his dreams

crumbled like stale buns.

He once believed in miracles,

now he just believed in digestion.

 

The crowd roared, a symphony

of belches and applause, as

the hot dog king stood tall.

His stomach a bottomless pit,

his heart a swollen balloon.

 

Victory tastes like brine,

he muttered to his shoes,

a parade of frankfurters

marching through his veins,

each one a triumph, each one

 

a mystery to his mother,

who watched from the bleachers,

knitting a scarf of disbelief.

She whispered his name softly,

as if casting a spell of love.

 

Meanwhile, the seagulls

continued their opera,

and the hot dog king

walked into the sunset,

burping the tune of champions.