24 August 2007
7:06 PM
basketball gameshine the lights, spill it over like a
flood into their hearts.
light up the faces of the hopeful
as, arms linked, they step into the light,
beyond the curtains.
this is holy ground.
beyond these walls another world exists.
walking through the doors was switching zones,
nothing matters more.
this is how it beginsthis is how it goesthis is how it ends, after
40 minutes of dashing
shooting
pushing
pressing
heart-wrangling
guarding
cheering
trying
fighting -
the number trails
as by its side the target mocks and climbs,
its pace a fraction of the previous'.
(it never began well.)
this is how it ends -
right: the blinding red values never wait.
left: they never catch up.
through the doors now, it looks
different.
food's not laid out, drinks aren't fizzy.
clouds are hanging lower in the sky,
the grass has grown longer.
the pavement looks starkly plain, dirty, unwelcoming.
the sun's on the other side.
this faith struggle - where does it lead?
this promise of harvest,
this
journey -
how does it end?as the lights dim, they take their
final bow,
turn their heads as behind them
the ball flies through the air in a
rainbow-like arc,
swishes through the net at perfect angle
to drop to the court with a hard
thump,
rolls over to the baseline - out.
darkness engulfs the stadium;
no one retrieves the ball.
