The multicolored ball

left, discarded, gathered by the wind

finding a place, resting, in the lee of the storage shed

a multicolored ball, an old friend

the ball he had taken outside

before the day took its turn

his slight body now buffeted

by the wind, the switchbacks

by falling on the granite dust

navigating the thin wood

the place beyond the fields

where he and the other played

standing in line, shivering in the cold

the too-thin, threadbare t-shirt

not nearly enough, the open sweatshirt

his body shuddering, waiting

for the bell to ring, but what of the ball

that lost but not forgotten

the friend far from him

breaking the rules to run to get it

out of the question, absurd

another to retrieve it, like a basketball

but colors of summer, faded on the ground

April 6, 2013

Deerfield Community School

April 3, 2013

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 22,690+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.