Violent Zen

Binnie Klein approaches boxing the way you might imagine reacting when happening upon a buck in the woods. The sum of your experience suggests you stay your distance—and the size and sinew of it corroborates that suggestion. Still, the thing draws your feet, slowly shrinking the span until its shimmering back becomes its glinting eyes. Slowly until it's at arms-length, until there is no distance at all, and the bleating nerves inside your head screaming at you to pivot and run give way to a melodic hum, give you clarity, and swaddle all your self-doubt, until that's gone, too.