Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The multicolored ball – v6

despair made me remember
his moment of terror
freezing cold, as he was
no coat, no sweater
no meat on his bones
bruised, in panic
wanting his friend,
the ball he had carried
wanting to run to it
but already lined up
waiting, compliant
to return to the classroom
not wanting to break any rules
(for there had been consequences when he
had broken other rules)
but secretly watching

left, discarded, gathered by the wind
finding a place, resting,
in the lee of the storage shed
just a few feet away from us
but too far to run to it,
we both had our places, our roles to play
not able to run to gather it in
needing to walk away, to get out of the cold
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

now he was captured, by the clock, by convention,
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
but really not that far away, tantalizing,
outside the bounds of his grasp
wanting to be free, unfettered
breaking the rules to run to get it
out of the question, absurd
another to retrieve it, to gather it in,
like a basketball, in shape,
but colors of summer, once bright,
now faded on the ground


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edited October 29, 2014
The multicolored ball – v6

(editing version 4)
Edited September 24, 2013
“The multicolored ball – v5”
Edited September 21, 2013
“The multicolored ball – v4”
(editing version 2)
edited April 8, 2013
“the multicolored ball – v3”
April 7, 2013
“The multicolored ball – v2”
April 6, 2013
“The multicolored ball”
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, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 33,140+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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